Misled by Needle Biopsy of the Thyroid Gland?

QUESTION: A friend of mine told me of a recent experience with her physician
during which he performed a biopsy using a needle which he injected into her
thyroid gland. She was happy that no cancer was found. I know that a biopsy
requires the doctor to cut some tissue, to obtain a sample for testing. How
do I tell my friend that she has been misled?
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ANSWER: You don't have to because she hasn't. In essence, her story is
completely understandable when you realize that all biopsies do not require
removing tissue by surgical techniques. The object of course is to obtain
cell specimens that may be examined under a microscope, searching for signs of
abnormal growth that signal the presence of cancer. In some cases these cells
may occur in urine and sputum, or be obtained by scraping (for example, the
technique used for a Pap smear). When cancer is suspected in the bronchial
tubes, a technique known as "washing" is used to gather material for
examination. While the most common use of the word "biopsy" relates to
obtaining specimens by excision, it may also apply to the method used by your
friend's physician. It is called "Aspiration Biopsy" and is frequently used
to search for cancer in the thyroid. In this technique, the physician inserts
a fine needle into the mass, and rather than injecting anything applies
suction through the syringe, while moving the needle back and forth in the
suspicious mass. In this way cells are loosened and sucked back into needle.
This material may then be used to prepare a slide for microscopic examination.
While the number of cells are few, an accurate diagnosis can be made in most
cases. The procedure is rapid, safe, and does not leave a scar. If necessary
it may be easily repeated, as it does not require hospitalization or special
equipment. You can now relax and be confident that the good news your friend
received from her doctor was valid.