Breast Cancer
This information is
explained in much more detail on our sister website: AboutBreastHealth.com.
How Breast Cancer is Diagnosed?
If you have not already had one, your physician may order a screening
mammogram, which is the best imaging technique for detecting tumors.
During the 30-minute procedure, your breasts are placed between
plastic plates while a radiology technician takes a series of x-rays.
If your mammogram shows something suspicious, your physician may
order an ultrasound or additional views of your breast to decipher
the findings from the mammogram.
If you, your physician, a mammogram or ultrasound detect a lump
in your breast, your physician may want to remove a small sample
of tissue to determine if the lump is cancerous. A physician usually
will use a technique called core needle biopsy. During this
procedure, which can be done under mammographic or ultrasound guidance,
a physician uses a large needle to remove tissue samples from the
breast lump. The pathologist then reviews the samples under microscope
to determine if the area is cancer.
If cancer is detected
If cancer is found, it then will be classified by what stage it’s
in to determine the appropriate course of treatment. Cancer is staged
using the numbers 0 through IV. The factors that determine your
stage are the size of your tumor and whether it has spread. To learn
more about each stage and to use our staging calculator to determine
your stage, visit AboutBreastHealth.com.