Several imaging methods are used in breast cancer screening, including mammography and breast MRI. If breast cancer screening finds something abnormal, follow-up tests are done.

A breast cancer diagnosis can only be obtained by performing a biopsy. In a biopsy some cells or tissue from the suspicious area is removed and analyzed by a pathologist who can determine if cancer is present.

There are 2 types of biopsies: needle biopsies and surgical biopsies.

There are 2 general types of needle biopsies: fine needle aspiration, often referred to as FNA, and core needle biopsy. Both can be performed in an outpatient setting. Because core needle biopsy is accurate and does not involve surgery, It’s the standard biopsy method for breast cancer diagnosis.

In rare cases, a surgical biopsy is needed.

Most biopsies are done as outpatient procedures with local anesthetics.

The breast tissue removed during a biopsy is sent to a pathologist, a physician who examines the tissue under a microscope to determine if the tissue contains cancer cells. The pathologist prepares a report of the findings, including the diagnosis, and sends it to the surgeon or oncologist.