“How long does it take for a biopsy report to come?”
My mother had certain nodes in her lungs which have just been sent for testing. How long does it take for the biopsy report to normally come? Anything she can do in the meantime?
12 Answers
Usually takes 24 to 48 hours after specimen is received in the lab. Sometimes longer if different type of stains and additional tests need to be done. Thank you.
Normally a few days. Your doctor should have a report from pathology within a couple of days.
In some cases, results can be available 24 hours after the biopsy. However, additional special testing is sometimes required which can 3 to 4 business days to complete. There is not much to be done until then. Hope this helps.
It varies depending on all what needs to be done. We like to tell patients to come back to see their doctor so he can discuss the report and other things in a week. Most reports should be done well before then.
RB Thomas, MD
RB Thomas, MD
Normal histological report of a biopsy should come out in 3-5 days
It usually takes 24 hours, but it may be delayed to 3 working days for special tests and/or second opinion from another pathologist.
One or two working days, unless special stains were needed for diagnosis. Then add an extra day or two. If consultation is needed the pathologist should send out a preliminary report.
Time varies considerably. Sometimes tumors need to have special stains or genetic testing to determine the nature of the malignancy. If these extra tests are ordered then the results will be delayed. Also, in some cases the look of the tumor is not straight forward and a second opinion or research may be necessary. Ideally, we like to have results in 2-3 days.
Sandra L. Aponte
Pathologist
Depends on the type of sample: fine needle aspirate versus biopsy. The turn around time may be from 24 to 72 hours. If longer, most likely additional studies were required. Just sit and wait, and always get a second opinion.
Usually <48 hours, since you can do the initial evaluation and special studies in that time frame. However, if there is molecular testing, that can add 10-14 additional days after the initial interpretation or report.
It depends on what testing you are referring to. For a routine surgical pathology examination by Hematoxylin & eosin stain, it can be as quick as 24 to 48 hours. If additional stains especially immunohistochemical stains are required for making the diagnosis, the results can take additional 2 to 3 days depending on number of stains applied and their turn around time.
Depending on the disease type, the expected pathology report usually takes 24 hours to a week and sometimes longer, if the pathological examination requires specialized testing or a second opinion by an expert.
