Skin Biopsy
If the physical examination shows evidence of a suspected melanoma, your doctor will recommend a skin biopsy, a procedure to remove all or part of the mole for evaluation under a microscope. The biopsy provides two important pieces of information:
- Whether the mole is benign or malignant
- If malignant, how deeply the tumor has penetrated the skin and whether there are associated signs of ulceration
A pathologist is a doctor who has been specially trained in the microscopic examination and diagnosis of tumor and lymph node tissue samples. Typically, skin samples are sent to a dermatopathologist — a pathologist with additional training and certification in making diagnoses from skin biopsies – who may be more experienced than a general pathologist in diagnosing skin cancers.