Mediastinoscopy

What To Think About

If a lymph node biopsy needs to be examined quickly (while you are still asleep), the sample will be taken immediately to the laboratory. There it will be frozen and sliced into very thin sections for examination under a microscope. If the lymph nodes show that you have cancer, surgery may be done right away to remove the cancer while you are still asleep. If a frozen section sample is not needed, a permanent section is made and the results usually are available in 2 to 4 working days.

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Author:	Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS	Last Updated: March 21, 2007
Medical Review:	Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Robert L. Cowie, MB, FCP(SA), MD, MSc, MFOM - Pulmonology
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