Finding a lump on your neck can be intimidating and worrisome. Your first few thoughts may jump to a form of cancer. However, there are ways to quickly diagnose these lumps and let you know if it’s benign or cancerous.
Common Causes of Neck Lumps
One of the leading causes of neck lumps is swollen lymph nodes. Swollen lymph nodes can be a result of a viral or bacterial infection, so it’s vital to monitor your lymph nodes to see if they get bigger. If they do not go down in two or three weeks, contact your doctor to discuss thyroid biopsy options.
An FNA doctor can perform a thyroid biopsy with ease, making a fast and relatively painless cancer biopsy option in Los Angeles. FNA (fine needle aspiration) is extremely popular for people with head or throat lumps because it’s minimally invasive and provides fast and accurate results.
Getting a Cancer Biopsy with FNA
Cancer biopsies don’t have to be a long and painful process. This is where fine needle aspiration comes in. There is very little preparation required before the outpatient procedure.
Your doctor may recommend that you stop taking any medication that thins your blood two or three days in advance. When you arrive for your appointment, your certified FNA doctor will numb the area. Once the numbing medication goes to work, they can begin the procedure.
The doctor slides a very thin needle into the lump. Depending on where the lump is, they may choose to work with or without ultrasound guidance. They’ll extract cells from your neck lump up through the hollow needle and into a sterile container. These cells will go to the laboratory for examination. You’ll get your results within a few days. Once you have the results, you can work out a plan with your doctor for treatment.
Benefits of FNA for Neck Masses
Several significant benefits come with using an FNA doctor LA for your biopsy. These benefits include:
• Accuracy – FNA is extremely accurate because they extract cells straight from the lump.
• Low Downtime – You’ll be able to go back to your normal routine. Some people even go back on the same day as the procedure.
• Minimally Invasive – Your only sign that you had this biopsy is mild discomfort and a tiny needle puncture.
• Reduced Infection Risk – Since you’re not dealing with a large open wound, the risk of infection is minimal.
If you have a lump in your neck or swollen lymph nodes, we encourage you to find an FNA doctor to perform an accurate cancer biopsy. They can perform a fast and accurate breast or thyroid biopsy as an outpatient to their office.
