Your family doctor (GP) will talk to you about your symptoms and will examine your breast area. They will refer you to a breast clinic if they think you need more tests. This doesn’t mean you have cancer. Remember, 9 out of 10 breast lumps are harmless.
If your doctor refers you for tests, ask:
If your doctor does not refer you for tests, ask:
Tests you might have include:
Mammogram: An X-ray of your breast
Ultrasound scan: A device like a microphone passed over your breast that can produce an image of the inside of your breast and show any lumps.
Biopsy: Taking a sample of cells. Biopsies are sent to a laboratory and looked at under a microscope to find out if cancer cells are present.
There are different ways to get breast tissue samples:
This is a scan that uses sound waves to look at the lymph nodes in the area of your armpit (axilla). The scan is done in the X-ray department of the hospital. The scan is painless and only takes a few minutes. If the lymph nodes look abnormal, a biopsy (tissue sample) will be taken to see if the cancer has travelled to the lymph nodes.
If you are diagnosed with breast cancer, we're here for you.
Our cancer nurses are here if you need information or just want to talk. They can help you to understand your diagnosis and what to expect, send you information and tell you about our services.
You may need further tests to give your doctors more information about your general health and about the cancer. For example:
This is a scan that uses sound waves to look at the lymph nodes in the area of your armpit (axilla). The scan is done in the X-ray department of the hospital. The scan is painless and only takes a few minutes. If the lymph nodes look abnormal, a biopsy (tissue sample) will be taken to see if the cancer has travelled to the lymph nodes.
Blood tests can check your general health, for example, to make sure you're fit for surgery. Blood tests can also give information about your liver and bones. You may need an X-ray or scans if your blood tests show any abnormal changes.
X-rays can check for bone and other joint problems. X-rays can also show changes in tissues and organs, such as the breast. You may have a chest X-ray to check you are fit for surgery. You may need a spine X-ray if you're having back pain.
A scan that uses magnetic energy to build up a picture of the tissues inside your body. During the scan you will lie inside a tunnel-like machine. Find out more about MRI scans.
A type of X-ray that gives a detailed picture of the tissues inside your body. Usually the scan will be of your chest, abdomen and pelvis. More about CT scans.
A radioactive injection that can show areas of abnormal bone on a scan, which may be caused by cancer that has spread.
A device like a microphone passed over your tummy to give a picture of your liver so your doctor can see any changes to your liver.
This means taking and testing a sample of cells from the lymph nodes to see if they contain cancer cells. It't important to know this, as it will influence the type of treatment you need. This will be done before surgery if the lymph nodes look abnormal on a scan. Your surgeon may also remove lymph nodes during breast cancer surgery.
The tests you have can help to:
Some tests may be used see how you are responding to treatment.
In breast cancer, some receptors mean that hormones will encourage the cancer cells to grow (hormone-receptor positive cancer). Breast cancer cells can also have too many HER2 protein receptors. HER2 can encourage breast cancer to grow.
Samples of your cancer cells (biopsy) will be tested to give your doctors more information about receptors, to help them plan the best treatment for you.
You may also have a test called Oncotype DX. This gives information about how your cancer might grow and if you're likely to benefit from chemotherapy.
While some results may come back quickly, others may take a few weeks. Waiting for results can be an anxious time. It may help to talk things over with your doctor or nurse or with a relative or close friend. You can also call our Support Line on 1800 200 700 or visit a Daffodil Centre to speak to a cancer nurse.
Staging means finding out how big the cancer is and if it has spread to other parts of your body. Staging will help your doctor to plan the best treatment for you.
TNM staging system
The staging system normally used is called TNM. This stands for:
N0 means no lymph nodes are affected.
If the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes (positive lymph nodes) the N will have a number to describe how many lymph nodes are affected.
NX means the doctors cannot tell if the nodes are affected.
M1 means the cancer has spread (metastasised) to other organs.
M0 means it hasn't.
Number staging
Your doctor often uses the TNM information to give your cancer a number stage – from 1 to 4. A higher number means a more advanced cancer.
Breast cancer cells can be graded as 1, 2 or 3, depending on how different they are to normal breast cells and how quickly they are growing. The grade gives your doctor information about how quickly the cancer may grow and spread.
In general, grade 1-2 means a slower growing cancer and grade 3 is faster growing.
Knowing the stage and grade of your cancer helps your team to plan the best treatment for you.
Staging and grading can be hard to understand, so ask your doctor and nurse for more information if you need it.
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