Meditation and music may be effective for pain relief and anxiety management in breast cancer biopsy patients. A new study conducted at the Duke Cancer Institute in Durham, N.C. revealed alternative methods of helping patients cope with pain and stress during the procedure.
Standard ultrasound-guided needle biopsy is usually performed using a very thin needle. The fine needle aspiration method is the least invasive type of breast cancer biopsy, causing minimal discomfort. The pain from the needle is usually manageable. However, other factors that may affect one’s experience may come into play, such as individual pain threshold, psychological predisposition (e.g., fear of needles), and anxiety associated with the procedure and diagnosis.
