QUESTION: how long to get a prostate biopsy back?

ANSWER: Hi,

Normally, it is required to wait for 7-10 days to obtain the result of prostate biopsy. However, sometimes, there is a delay due to the large number of prostate biopsies, and because, in some other times, doctors run extra tests to confirm certain diagnosis.

It is quite possible for you to obtain the result of your prostate biopsy in 4-5 day if everything is normally and there is no need of extra test.

However, that doesn’t mean that there is something wrong when your results come out after more than 5 days.

You may be wondering why there is such a delay in getting the prostate biopsy result.

Keep in mind that all pathologists are looking for cancer cells while proceeding the biopsy test, and, of course, this requires time.

In addition, sometimes, it is not possible to see the cancer cells via a microscope, because they look just like the normal cells.

In purpose to make the correct diagnosis, the pathologists use other different staining methods, which have the ability to make the tumor cells visible.

This procedure needs time, and there is determined period for all the stains used from the pathologist.

In some other cases, the staining does not show the tumor cells and for that reason, the pathologist are using imunohistochemical reactions which also require time.

The stainings and the imunohistochemical reactions are routine procedures, which, in most of the cases, are showing the right diagnosis.

Sometimes, in order to ensure the diagnosis, the pathologists are obligated to use other methods which are related with the finding of specific substance in the cells.

This is quite difficult because it is connected with the injection of substance marked with radioactive element. When this substance connects with the searched one, the pathologist is able to visualize it.

This may cost a lot of time and efforts but after all, pathologist are determining the diagnosis, the stage of the tumor, in some way the treatment and the probable exit of this condition.

All the best!

Dr.Alba