Have lung nodule in lower lung. Is doing needle biopsy only way to find out cancer?
Patient: Hello,  Doctors have found a lung nodule in my mothers right lower lung.  They want to do a biopsy because they don't know if it's lung cancer, or from breast cancer or from colon cancer.  Is this the only way to find out is by a needle biopsy?  Also does a needle biopsy spread cancer cells? Doctor: though imaging can suggest malignancy based on certain characteristics, the only way to confirm cancer is by performing fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) or biopsy. They are safe and do not spread cancer cells