Breast Cancer : Your Pathology Report

In this section you'll find the web version of the breastcancer.org booklet: Your Guide to the Breast Cancer Pathology Report.

Wait for the Whole Picture

Waiting is so hard! But just one test can lead to several different reports. Some tests take longer than others. Not all tests are done by the same lab. Most information comes within one to two weeks after surgery, and you will usually have all the results within a few weeks. Your doctor can let you know when the results come in. If you don't hear from your doctor, give her or him a call.

Get All the Information You Need

Be sure that you have all the test information you need before you make a final decision about your treatment. Also, don't focus too much on any one piece of information by itself. Try to look at the whole picture as you think about your options.

Different labs and hospitals may use different words to describe the same thing. If there are words in your pathology report that are not explained in this booklet, don't be afraid to ask your doctor what they mean.

Breast anatomy showing close up of ductal cells

Breast Cancer Stage

The pathology report will help your doctor decide the stage of your breast cancer. It could be:

• stage 0
• stage I (1)
• stage II (2)
• stage IIIA (3A)
• stage IIIB (3B)
• stage IV (4)

Staging is based on the size of the tumor, whether lymph nodes are involved, and whether the cancer has spread beyond the breast. Your doctors use all parts of the pathology report as well as the breast cancer stage to shape your treatment plan.

How to Start

First, check the top of the report for your name, the date you had your operation, and the type of operation you had. Make sure they are right for you.

Parts of Your Report

• Specimen: This section describes where the tissue samples came from. Tissue samples could be taken from the breast, from the lymph nodes under your arm (axilla), or both.
• Clinical history: This is a short description of you and how the breast abnormality was found. It also describes the kind of surgery that was done.
• Clinical diagnosis: This is the diagnosis the doctors were expecting before your breast tissue sample was tested.
• Gross description: This section describes the tissue sample or samples. It talks about the size, weight, and color of each sample.
• Microscopic description: This section describes the way the cancer cells look under the microscope.
• Special tests or markers: This section reports the results of tests for proteins, genes, and how fast the cells are growing.
• Summary or final diagnosis: This section is the short description of all the important findings in each tissue sample.