Esophageal Biopsy
A biopsy is a short procedure during which a doctor takes a small sample of suspicious cells. A pathologist examines the tissue sample under a microscope and determines whether the cells are normal or cancerous.
We try to use the least invasive biopsy procedure possible that gives us the most amount of information that can be used to direct your treatment. We aim to minimize discomfort, while still obtaining enough cells to make a diagnosis with as few procedures as possible. We offer several types of biopsy, and you may need one or more types depending on your individual case.
- Endoscopy
In this procedure, a long, flexible tube with a small camera (endoscope) is inserted down your throat and esophagus and into your stomach and upper small intestine (duodenum). With the endoscope, your doctor can view your esophagus for irregularities and remove tissue samples for biopsy and culture. - Radiology
In some situations, a radiologist may use a needle to obtain tissue under ultrasound or CT guidance, if diagnostic tests such as PET or CT scans show suspicious findings in organs outside of the esophagus such as the liver, lung, or bone. - Surgical biopsy
In other situations, a surgeon may remove part of a tumor for testing, or all of it. The goal is to determine whether the tumor is benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous). These surgical procedures can involve getting a biopsy of tissue in the esophagus itself or other organs such as the lung or liver.
Pathology: Analyzing biopsy samples
After you have a biopsy, the tissue samples are sent to our pathologists for review. A pathologist is a medical doctor who specializes in reviewing and evaluating lab tests, cells, and tissues to diagnose disease. Our pathologists analyze biopsy samples to determine whether the tissue is cancerous and, if so, what type of cancer it is.
Because cancer represents a complex group of different diseases, it’s important to have expert pathologists on your care team. Years of experience studying esophageal cancer every day means your pathologist can accurately identify critical details. This information includes whether the biopsied tissue:
- Shows invasive cancer or pre-cancerous tissue
- Shows a high or low cell grade (rating that describes how different the cancer cells are from normal cells) to describe whether cancer is aggressive or slow growing
- Contains molecules that indicate the cancer subtype
All these details help form an accurate diagnosis, which is vital to your treatment plan. Your care team takes the time to do a thorough evaluation from the start, so that your treatment will be more effective.
Tumor tissue bank
Our doctors and researchers work to thoroughly understand the true diversity of cancer and identify the genetic abnormalities that can play a role in cancer formation. That’s why it’s critical that our doctors have access to tissue samples to plan for each patient’s care.
At Stanford, we store tissue samples so we can use them for research, using the following process:
- After we take a biopsy (tiny sample of tissue), we ask you if you would like to give it to the tissue bank.
- The tissue first goes to the laboratory, where the pathologist samples it.
- If you approve, the tissue then goes to cancer research specialists. These doctors work with our clinicians (doctors involved in patient care) to identify new pathways of tumor formation and possible treatments.
- The data is made anonymous and is not available to you after donation, because we use it for research and not for clinical use in making treatment decisions.
Our tumor bank provides our doctors and other researchers with a variety of different types of cancer cells to study. As we work on new methods and tools for diagnosing and treating cancer, our goal is to move these findings from the lab into patient care.
Stanford Health Library
For confidential help with your health care questions, contact the Stanford Health Library. Professional medical librarians and trained volunteers can help you access journals, books, e-books, databases, and videos to learn more about medical conditions, treatment options, and related issues.
- 875 Blake Wilbur Drive, Palo Alto: First floor near the cafe, 650-736-1960
- South Bay Cancer Center: 2589 Samaritan Drive, third floor lobby, 408-353-0197
Email us your questions: healthlibrary@stanfordhealthcare.org
Current as of: 1/2020
Stanford Health Education, 2020