Lynn Battle relives the practicalities - and emotions - of undergoing a biopsy for breast cancer

A lump has been found in your breast and you need to have a biopsy. It may be a small procedure, but it's a very big situation to deal with. A biopsy means that they are going to check you for cancer. No amount of reasoning will convince you that it is something small, because it will be on your mind until you get the results.

Not knowing if you have cancer or not is one of the hardest things to live with. When you know, you just get on with the treatment or dealing with the emotional impact. But not knowing leaves you in a state of limbo. Is your life and the hope of the future going to stay intact or could this be the beginning of something life-changing?

The procedure
A biopsy doesn't hurt. Well it shouldn't if the doctor gets it right. The doctor will take a few cells from the lump, so that he or she can examine them under a microscope. To get a sample, they use a long needle to impregnate the lump. This is not open surgery and can be done using a local anesthetic, which numbs the area so that you feel no pain. You will be able to resume normal activities in a day or so.

It is true that for every ten lumps investigated at least eight are found benign, but the fact remains that this is a crucial stage.

If you need to know more about the procedure, you have every right to ask. Go to the doctor dealing with your case and ask specific questions written down in advance. Be as prepared as possible. Don't end the conversation with him or her, until you have all the answers you want. But tread carefully; if you go with someone else, let your companion ask the questions and write down the answers. Everyone has a different capacity to absorb difficult information, but the more you know the less you will be upset by the procedure.

Getting the results
When I had my biopsy, I naively thought that it would be OK. I thought that this lump was something to do with the fact that I was pregnant at the time. I remember that the morning I was to get the results, I was in a toddler meeting with my 20-month-old daughter. One of the mothers there asked if I was OK about going on my own. Her question stopped me for a moment because I never really considered that it would be anything other than all right. So off I went. But, when I was told that I had cancer I was stunned. As the tears began to come, the doctor left me with a nurse. She talked to me, gently, but the reality was that I felt like I had been smashed by a sledgehammer. I will never forget that moment.

But I had made a mistake. I had gone on my own. The golden rule about biopsies (whether going for the procedure itself or getting the results) is this: take someone with you.

Accepting support from others
It may be that the other person will help you bear it a little better or that you will find reassurance in the presence of someone else. Don't underestimate the impact of the procedure or getting the results.

When I was first told that I had cancer, I had to drive home on my own - and I was probably not fit to do that. The nurse allowed me to phone my husband from the hospital, so at least he would be home soon after I got there too. The journey back was a nightmare. I remember that it was foggy, I had to fill up with petrol and people were talking about ordinary things - how could they when I had just been delivered my life sentence?

Quite understandably, going for a biopsy is very worrying. Whether the results are negative or positive, the process is still the same. It is always significant. Although it's true that more people have biopsies than end up with breast cancer, we should never, ever take it lightly.

Support groups

Breast Cancer Care
Tel: 0808 800 6000

CancerBACUP
Tel: 0808 808 2020 or 0808 808 0000

Ask for support groups near to you. The hospital will be the first place to ask. If you need more information, contact Cancer Link, which has recently merged with Macmillan. They hold the directory of support groups for all cancers, but Breast Cancer Care will deal with Breast Cancer cases only.