Diagnosis

Breast cancer is often first suspected when a lump is felt or when an abnormal area is found on a mammogram. Most of the time, these suspicious areas do not turn out to be cancer, but the only way to know for sure is through follow-up tests. Understanding what these tests are and how to interpret their results can help a woman take control of her situation and pick the course of action that is best for her. This section of About Breast Cancer discusses follow-up tests called biopsies, which involve the removal of cells or tissue from the breast. Also covered are additional tests that help determine the most appropriate treatment if cancer is found. For information on screening tests like mammography and clinical breast exam, see the Early Detection and Screening section.

Types of Biopsies	Understanding a Pathology Report	Factors That Affect Treatment Decisions and Prognosis	Other Issues Related to Diagnosis
Types of biopsies Needle biopsies Core needle biopsy Fine needle biopsy Surgical biopsies Excisional biopsy Incisional biopsy Deciding between biopsies How can a biopsy miss breast cancer?	Introduction Contents of a pathology report	Introduction Lymph node status Tumor size Tumor grade Tumor type Hormone receptors HER2/neu Proliferation rate Tests for metastases Oncotype Dx	Inflammatory breast cancer Paget’s disease Staging of breast cancer Emerging areas in diagnosis Subtypes of breast cancer Questions for your provider References

Biopsy Introduction