A biopsy is used to diagnose adult soft tissue sarcoma.

The type of biopsy will be determined by the tumor’s size and location in the body. There are three different types of biopsy procedures that can be used:

1. Incisional biopsy: The removal of part of a lump or a sample of tissue.
2. Core biopsy: The removal of tissue using a wide needle.
3. Excisional biopsy: The removal of an entire lump or area of tissue that does bot look normal.

The main tumor, lymph nodes, and other questionable regions will all be sampled.

A pathologist examines the tissue under a microscope for cancer cells and to determine the tumor’s grade.

The tumor’s grade is determined by how aberrant cancer cells appear under a microscope and how quickly they divide. Cancers with a higher grade tend to develop and spread faster than tumors with a lower grade.

The following tests may be done on the tissue that was removed:

1. Immunohistochemistry is a laboratory test that examines a sample of a patient’s tissue for specific antigens (markers) using antibodies.
   Antibodies are frequently coupled to a fluorescent dye or an enzyme.
   The enzyme or dye is activated once the antibodies bind to a specific antigen in the tissue sample, and the antigen can then be observed under a microscope.
   This type of test is used to help diagnose cancer and distinguish between different types of cancer.
2. Microscopy, both light and electron, is a laboratory examination in which cells in a sample of tissue are examined through ordinary and high-powered microscopes for specific changes in the cells.
3. Cytogenetic analysis: A laboratory test that counts and examines the chromosomes of cells in a tissue sample for any abnormalities, such as damaged, missing, altered, or additional chromosomes.
   Changes in particular chromosomes could indicate the presence of cancer.
   Cytogenetic analysis is used to aid in the diagnosis of cancer, the planning of treatment, and the evaluation of treatment effectiveness.
4. FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) is a lab test that examines and counts genes and chromosomes in cells and tissues.
   In the lab, fluorescent dye-containing DNA fragments are created and added to a sample of a patient’s cells or tissues.
   When these coloured fragments of DNA bind to specific genes or chromosome regions in the sample, they light up when viewed under a microscope.
   The FISH test is used to help diagnose cancer and help plan treatment.
5. Flow cytometry is a laboratory test that determines the number of cells in a sample, the proportion of living cells in the sample, and specific cell characteristics such as size, shape, and the presence of tumor (or other) markers on the cell surface.
   A fluorescent dye is used to stain cells from a patient’s blood, bone marrow, or other tissue, which are then placed in a fluid and passed through a beam of light one at a time.
   The test results are based on the reaction of the fluorescent dye-stained cells to the light beam.