# Core needle biopsy and fine-needle aspiration (FNA)

Source: https://onco.cc/terms/core-needle-biopsy/  
OnCo record `core-needle-biopsy` (Term). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Taking a sliver of tissue (core) or a few cells (fine-needle aspiration) through a needle guided by ultrasound, CT or MRI, to diagnose the cancer and test its markers without surgery.

## Summary

Core biopsy preserves tissue architecture and gives enough material for immunohistochemistry (ER, PR, HER2, PD-L1) and genomic panels, so it is the standard for breast, prostate (MRI-targeted), lung and liver lesions. FNA gives cytology only and suits thyroid nodules (Bethesda system) and lymph nodes. Bone marrow aspirate and trephine biopsy diagnose and monitor leukaemias and myeloma. Re-biopsy at progression identifies resistance mechanisms (T790M, small-cell transformation) when liquid biopsy is uninformative.

## Fields

- Kind: Term
- Last checked: 2026-09-09
- Also known as: core biopsy; core needle biopsy; fine-needle aspiration; fine needle aspiration; FNA; image-guided biopsy; CT-guided biopsy; re-biopsy; bone marrow biopsy; bone marrow aspirate; targeted biopsy

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Needle_aspiration_biopsy
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Needle_aspiration_biopsy

## Connected records

- terms: [Bronchoscopy (EBUS, robotic navigation)](https://onco.cc/terms/bronchoscopy/), [Cell-free DNA (cfDNA)](https://onco.cc/terms/cfdna/), [Flow cytometry (immunophenotyping)](https://onco.cc/terms/flow-cytometry/), [Histology](https://onco.cc/terms/histology/), [Receptor conversion: when the receptors change between the primary and a recurrence](https://onco.cc/terms/receptor-conversion-breast/), [Window-of-opportunity trial](https://onco.cc/terms/window-of-opportunity-trial/)
- fronts: [Diagnostics & Biomarkers](https://onco.cc/fronts/diagnostics/)
- technologies: [Histopathology & immunohistochemistry](https://onco.cc/technologies/histopathology-ihc/), [Liquid biopsy (ctDNA)](https://onco.cc/technologies/liquid-biopsy/)
- roadmaps: [Diagnostics roadmap: stains → gene panels → blood tests that decide treatment](https://onco.cc/roadmaps/diagnostics-roadmap/)
- cancers: [Breast cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/breast-cancer/), [Inflammatory breast cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/inflammatory-breast-cancer/), [Paget disease of the nipple](https://onco.cc/cancers/paget-disease-of-the-nipple/), [Phyllodes tumour of the breast](https://onco.cc/cancers/phyllodes-tumour/)

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