What happens if you have breast cancer symptoms?
If you notice any changes in your breasts, your doctor may recommend further tests. These tests will depend on your symptoms and medical history.
Doctors often use a method called the triple test to investigate breast symptoms. This approach combines three types of checks:
Clinical examination – Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and family history, then check both breasts, nipples, armpits, and the area up to your collarbone for any changes.
Imaging tests – These help look inside the breast tissue and may include:
- A mammogram, which uses low-dose X-rays to check for changes.
- An ultrasound, which uses sound waves to look at the breast and armpit area. In some cases, an MRI scan may be used for a clearer view.
Biopsy – If an abnormal area is found, a small sample of tissue or cells may be taken to check under a microscope. There are different types of biopsies:
- Core biopsy: A needle removes a small piece of tissue, usually with local anaesthetic.
- Fine needle aspiration: A thin needle removes cells, often guided by an ultrasound or mammogram.
- Vacuum-assisted biopsy: A needle with suction removes a larger sample.
- Surgical biopsy: A lump is removed during surgery.
What happens after the biopsy is taken?
After a biopsy, the sample of cells or tissue is sent to a specialist called a pathologist. They carefully examine it under a microscope and prepare a detailed report, which helps your medical team understand what’s going on and plan the best treatment for you.
If breast cancer is found, the pathology report will include important information such as:
- Type, stage, and grade of the cancer – This helps doctors understand how the cancer behaves and how advanced it is.
- Size and location – This affects what treatment options are recommended, including the type of surgery.
- Hormone receptor status – If the cancer responds to hormones like estrogen or progesterone, hormonal therapy may be part of your treatment.
- HER2 status – If the cancer has HER2 receptors, targeted therapies may be recommended.
- Lymph node involvement – If cancer cells are found in the lymph nodes (usually checked during surgery), this may influence whether chemotherapy is needed.
- Surgical margins – If you’ve had breast-conserving surgery, the report will show whether the area around the removed cancer is clear of cancer cells. If not, more surgery might be needed.
This information is essential for guiding your treatment plan if you are diagnosed with breast cancer.
What happens if you have no symptoms?
Mammograms are used to regularly check for breast cancer in women who may present with no signs or symptoms of the disease. Screening mammograms involve x-ray pictures of each breast that are analysed by a radiographer for signs of abnormality. Free routine mammographic screening is available in each state for women over 40 years through BreastScreen Australia.*
Book online or contact BreastScreen Australia on 13 20 50.
What we’re researching now: Advancing breast cancer screening with the use of cutting-edge technologies
Problem: Research shows that population breast cancer screening leads to a decrease in breast cancer-related deaths. This is attributed to early diagnosis when treatment is more effective. However, some breast cancers can be missed.
Solution: Rapid developments in technology hold promise for increasing the benefits of breast cancer screening seen in Australia over the last three decades. In this NBCF-funded study, Dr Luke Marinovich and his colleagues will evaluate two new technologies that could transform breast cancer screening, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital breast tomosynthesis (3-dimensional imaging). The team aims to generate robust evidence for the capacity of AI to detect cancer in screening images and conduct an Australian first trial to evaluate digital breast tomosynthesis to improve detection sensitivity. These technologies have the potential to improve outcomes for breast cancer patients through early cancer detection.
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