What is the purpose of an excisional biopsy?

The purpose of an excisional biopsy is to remove a specific area of tissue that may be suspected of disease, which typically includes tumors or lesions, allowing for a comprehensive evaluation and diagnosis by examining the cellular structure under a microscope. An excisional biopsy can indeed involve the removal of a sentinel lymph node if there is a suspicion of cancer spreading, as sentinel nodes often serve as the first point of drainage for lymphatic fluid from a tumor site. By removing this node, doctors can assess whether cancer cells are present, which is critical for staging the cancer and determining the most effective treatment plan.

Evaluating blood flow, confirming the diagnosis of cysts, and examining lymph nodes are not the primary goals of an excisional biopsy. Instead, those processes are generally associated with different diagnostic procedures or tests designed to assess various aspects of tissue health rather than to obtain a definitive diagnosis of malignancy from tumor or abnormal tissue directly. Thus, the option that correctly identifies the role of an excisional biopsy in the context of cancer treatment and assessment is the removal of a sentinel node for examing harmful cells.