Breast Cancer

Because symptoms of breast cancer can also be caused by other, less serious problems. a woman should discuss them with her doctor. To determine the cause of any symptoms, a doctor will perform a careful physical exam and ask the woman about her personal and family medical history. The doctor may also do one or more of the following breast tests:

• Breast exam. Palpation, or feeling the breast, can help determine the size and texture of any abnormalities. Benign lumps often feel different from cancerous ones.
• Mammography. X-rays of the breast can provide important information about a breast lump. If something looks unusual, more mammograms or other tests may be needed.
• Ultrasonography. Ultrasonography uses sound waves to find out whether a lump is solid or filled with fluid. This exam may be used along with mammography.

These exams may help the doctor decide that a woman doesn't need any more tests, and that she doesn't need to be treated. However, it is sometimes necessary to remove fluid or tissue from a suspicious area found in the breast to make a diagnosis. This process is called a biopsy. A doctor will suggest doing a biopsy when something suspicious is found in one or more of the tests above.

There are several kinds of biopsies; the type a doctor recommends depends on what has been learned about the abnormalities in earlier tests. A woman's doctor may refer her to a surgeon or another doctor who has experience with breast diseases and breast biopsies to perform the procedure. Biopsy results are usually known within a couple of days after the biopsy is performed.

If cancer is found in the biopsy, a pathologist will determine its type. The doctor can then tell whether it began in a duct or a lobule and whether it is invasive or not. This will determine whether treatment is necessary, and if so, what types of treatment are best suited for that type and stage of breast cancer.

Additional lab tests may be performed to identify other characteristics of the cancer cells, such as whether they are dependent on hormones for growth (hormone-receptor positive). These tests will help further determine treatment.

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