<p>A biopsy needle device includes an outer cannula having a pointed, tissue penetrating distal end and a side-notched stylet located within the cannula. The stylet and cannula are axially movable with respect to each other. The stylet is constructed from a solid rod having a notch near the distal end. The notch is bordered in portions along its length by a walled region to at least in part define a protected sample-containment space. The stylet includes a pointed, tissue penetrating distal end. The notch defines a full cylindrical region and the walled region has a semi-circular cross-section. The cross sectional area of the notch is between about 90-97% of the diameter of the rod. The wall thickness of the walled region is in the range of 0.008''-0.013''. A method of taking a biopsy sample from a hard cancerous lesion is described.</p>
