The path from a screening mammogram to getting a breast cancer diagnosis to starting treatment is a multi-step process that can take weeks to months to complete. While waiting for the results of endless testing can feel overwhelming, your care team is learning all about your breast cancer so they can develop the treatment plan best suited for your unique breast cancer. This blog post will dive into six of the ways your care team learns about your breast cancer.
If there are suspicious findings on your mammogram, you will have some type of follow-up imaging such as a breast ultrasound, diagnostic mammogram, or a breast MRI. If these tests do not rule out breast cancer, you will need a breast biopsy, which is the only test that can diagnose breast cancer.
A breast biopsy is the first among six ways your care team may learn about your breast cancer:
- Breast Biopsy: A core needle biopsy is the standard and preferred way to diagnose breast cancer. In rare cases, a surgical biopsy may be needed. In a core needle biopsy, some cells from the suspicious area are removed using a needle, and a pathologist looks at the cells under a microscope to determine if they are cancerous. A pathologist can learn a lot from your biopsy beyond confirming the presence of cancer cells. Your biopsy can tell your doctor how fast your cancer is growing and how abnormal the cells look, known as tumor grade, which may indicate the aggressiveness of the cancer.
- Biomarker testing: All breast cancers are checked for three key biomarkers : estrogen receptor status, progesterone receptor status, and HER2 status, which can help guide treatment. You can find the status of your biomarkers on your pathology report.
- Genetic Testing: Depending on the type and stage of your cancer, doctor’s may recommend that some people diagnosed with breast cancer get genetic counseling and genetic testing. Genetic tests look for inherited gene mutations in a person. In some cases, knowing if you have an inherited gene mutation could impact your treatment plan. Ask your doctor if you fit the criteria for genetic testing.
- Tumor profiling tests: If your cancer is estrogen receptor-positive, HER2-negative early breast cancer, your doctor may use a tumor profiling test to plan your treatment. These tests give information about how the genes in your cancer cells impact the tumor’s behavior and can help predict the likelihood of the cancer spreading in the future.
- Assessing lymph nodes: The lymph nodes in the underarm are the first place breast cancer cells travel to if the cancer has started to spread. You may have a sentinel lymph node biopsy to look for any breast cancer cells that have made their way to the lymph nodes. A sentinel lymph node biopsy is typically done during surgery to remove the breast tumor. Some people will need axillary lymph node dissection.
- Tests for metastases: If your lymph nodes show the presence of breast cancer cells, you may need additional tests to determine if your breast cancer has spread to other parts of the body. These tests can include blood tests, bone scans to see if it has spread to the bones and X-rays or CT scans to see if it has spread to the chest, abdomen, or liver. Since the majority of people diagnosed with breast cancer are diagnosed at early stages, most people don’t need these tests when getting their diagnosis.
The path from an abnormal screening mammogram to starting treatment for breast cancer looks different for everyone, and not everyone needs all these tests. The time it takes for your doctor to learn as much as they can about your breast cancer ensures that you receive a personalized treatment plan that is effective for your specific type of breast cancer. Having a treatment plan personalized for you means the ability to balance treatment with a higher quality of life.
If you’re facing a breast cancer diagnosis and not sure where to begin, you’ve come to the right place. Our Know More series will continue to help educate you and arm you with the tools you’ll need to feel empowered to advocate for yourself through your experience.
Read More:
Downloadable Resource: Path to a Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Downloadable Resource: Questions to Ask Your Doctor When Breast Cancer is Diagnosed
Downloadable Resource: Questions to Ask Your Doctor: Breast Biopsy
Downloadable Resource: Questions to Ask Your Doctor: Tumor Profiling
Downloadable Resource: Breast Biopsy
Downloadable Resource: Mammography
Downloadable Resource: Breast Cancer Screening & Follow-up Tests
Watch & Hear More:
Path to Treatment – Pathology Report
What happens if you get a call back after a screening mammogram?
Real Pink Podcast: Tumor Profiling and Breast Cancer Treatment
More Actions You Can Take:
Contact Komen’s Patient Care Center for support (1-877-465-6636). The Komen Patient Care Center is your trusted, go-to source for timely, accurate breast health and breast cancer information, services and resources.
Join ShareForCures®. ShareForCures® is Komen’s Breast Cancer Research Registry that will be answering some of the most pressing questions in breast cancer. Anyone diagnosed with breast cancer over age 18 in the U.S. is eligible to participate.
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