Breast Cancer Diagnosis

A biopsy is a test that removes a sample of cells or tissue from the suspicious area of your breast. The sample is studied under a microscope to see if cancer is present. 

Types of biopsies
There are two main types of biopsies: needle and surgical. A core needle biopsy is the standard and preferred way to diagnose breast cancer. It involves removing samples of breast tissue from the suspicious area using a needle. In rare cases, a surgical biopsy may be needed to make a breast cancer diagnosis.  

The tissue samples are sent to a pathologist to examine under a microscope. The pathologist will determine whether the tissue contains cancer. The results will be sent to your doctor or oncologist in a pathology report. 

Waiting for results
Waiting for your biopsy results can be hard. Be sure to ask your doctor when you can expect the results. If the results don’t show cancer, talk with your doctor about your follow-up breast care and future screening plan. If breast cancer is found, the next step is understanding your diagnosis.  

Read our blog, 6 Ways Your Care Team Learns About Your Breast Cancer.

If a biopsy finds breast cancer, it’s important to understand the factors related to your diagnosis. These factors help you and your doctor make treatment decisions.

After a diagnosis of early or locally advanced breast cancer
Tests are done on the tumor and any lymph nodes removed during surgery. The results of these tests help inform your prognosis (course of disease) and guide your treatment plan.

Factors that affect your prognosis and treatment are considered together, rather than alone. They include:   

• Lymph node status 
• Tumor size 
• Presence or absence of metastases  
• Hormone receptor status (estrogen and progesterone receptor status) 
• HER2 status 
• Tumor grade 
• Type of tumor
• Oncotype DX (for some estrogen receptor-positive breast cancers)

After a diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer
Learn about factors that affect prognosis and treatment after a diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer.

Watch our video of Former Komen Chief Scientific Advisor Dr. George Sledge who talks about the tests that are done on tissue to help guide breast cancer treatment.

Breast cancer stages 
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is stage 0, or non-invasive breast cancer and has the best prognosis. There are 4 main stages of invasive breast cancer: stages 1-4. The lower the breast cancer stage, the better the prognosis tends to be. The most advanced stage (stage 4) is known as metastatic breast cancer. 

New tools under study
New tools are under study that may one day be used in breast cancer diagnosis to help plan treatment.