Excisional Biopsy

If your doctor suspects that a mole or growth on your skin is melanoma, he or she will need to do an excisional biopsy. This is the only way to make a definite diagnosis of melanoma.

The doctor (a dermatologist or surgeon) tries to remove all of the suspicious-looking growth. If the growth is too large to be removed easily, the doctor removes a part of it. This can usually be done in the doctor's office, using a local anesthetic. A pathologist then examines what was removed under a microscope to check for cancer cells.

Glossary
Anesthetic
A substance that causes loss of feeling or awareness. A local anesthetic causes loss of feeling in a specific part of the body into which the anesthetic has been applied or injected. A general anesthetic puts the person to sleep.
Dermatologist
A doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of skin problems.
Excisional Biopsy
A surgical procedure in which a tumor is removed and examined under a microscope to check for cancer cells.
Melanoma
A highly malignant type of skin cancer that arises in melanocytes, the cells that produce pigment. Melanoma usually begins in a mole.