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Breast Biopsy

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Breast Biopsy

Needle Biopsy

Image by National Cancer Institute / Linda Bartlett (Photographer)

Finding Breast Cancer

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Breast Cancer Screening & Diagnosis

Video by TheVisualMD

Finding Breast Cancer

Breast cancer can be found through screening tests, a breast self- exam, or when symptoms start.

Screening

Screening tests can find breast cancer before it causes symptoms and when it is most treatable. Two common tests used to check for breast cancer are:

Mammogram (MAM-mo-gram): This test is a breast x-ray. It looks for changes in breast tissue that may be cancer. These changes may look like a shadow on the x-ray. A mammogram can find breast cancer even when it is too small to be felt. This is considered the best screening test for breast cancer.
Breast exam by your doctor or nurse: This is usually part of a woman's yearly exam. But if you find a breast lump or other change that worries you, do not wait. See your doctor to have it checked.

Self-exam

A woman can do a breast self-exam at home to check for changes in breast tissue. If you find a breast lump or any other changes, see your doctor right away to have it checked.

Symptoms

Many women with early breast cancer have no symptoms. The most common symptom of breast cancer is a breast lump. Other possible symptoms include:

Changes in the skin of the breast (such as skin irritation, dimples in the skin, redness, scaly skin, or thickening of the skin)
Swelling of all or part of the breast
Pain in the breast or nipple
The nipple draws back into the breast
Discharge from the nipple (other than breast milk)

If you have any of these symptoms, see your doctor right away.

Follow-up tests and breast biopsy

If a shadow is seen on your mammogram, a lump is felt, or you have other symptoms, your doctor will likely do more tests. Your doctor may recommend another mammogram or a breast ultrasound. These tests tell your doctor if you need a biopsy.

Most women who have followup tests find out they do not need a biopsy. But, if the results of the followup tests are of concern, your doctor will recommend a biopsy.

Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

Additional Materials (7)

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What Is Breast Cancer?

Breast imaging and early detection of breast cancer have evolved immensely over the last 25 years, leading to increased survival rates and improved quality of life for millions of women with breast cancer. This video takes you through the process of screening and diagnosis using various imaging modalities, including mammogram, ultrasound and MRI.

Video by TheVisualMD

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Mammography

Breast radiologist Dr.Gillian Newstead of the University of Chicago Medical Center explains the process of a typical mammogram screening.

Video by TheVisualMD

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Breast Density

Women with dense breast tissue often require a further look with ultrasound for screening. University of Chicago Medical Center breast radiologist Dr. Gillian Newstead and a breast cancer survivor with dense breast tissue explain.

Video by TheVisualMD

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Breast Self Exam

Many breast cancers are detected by the patient herself. Dr. Gillian Newstead of The University of Chicago medical Center's breast clinic discusses breast lumps and the importance of seeing your doctor if you feel one.

Video by TheVisualMD

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Cancer and Wellness

Voyage deep inside your body to see, on a cellular level, why 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime. Watch a cell reproducing normally and a breast cancer cell dividing out of control. Dr. Jeremy Geffen, oncologist, and Dr. Kevin Gardner of the National Cancer Institute explain that damaged DNA causes cancer-and every cell in your body undergoes 10,000 DNA damage events each day. Dr. Candace Pert, neuroscientist, and Dr. Mark Liponis of Canyon Ranch talk about why cancer represents an immune system failure. Most of your risk for cancer is due to lifestyle factors. Watch as fat cells balloon in size and learn how they secrete cancer-inducing chemicals. View breast and colon cancer inside the body. Find out how you can dramatically decrease your risk of cancer.

Video by TheVisualMD

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Breast Cancer Cell

Frontal camera shot zooms into mammary (breast) tissue as it becomes transparent to focus on cancer cells. The camera zooms in at a fast pace so that the lobules, ducts and fatty tissue of the mammary glands are not clearly defined.

Video by TheVisualMD

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Nipple Discharge

It's important to take notice of changes in your breast. Here, breast radiologist Dr. Gillian Newstead of the University of Chicago Medical Center discusses nipple discharge.

Video by TheVisualMD

4:47

What Is Breast Cancer?

TheVisualMD

0:37

Mammography

TheVisualMD

0:43

Breast Density

TheVisualMD

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0:39

Breast Self Exam

TheVisualMD

4:42

Cancer and Wellness

TheVisualMD

0:07

Breast Cancer Cell

TheVisualMD

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0:34

Nipple Discharge

TheVisualMD

Mammogram

Mammogram

Also called: Breast Cancer Screening - Mammography, Screening Mammography, Diagnostic Mammography, Mammogram

A mammogram is a low-dose x-ray picture of the breast. A mammogram is used to look for early signs of breast cancer. Regular mammograms are the best tests doctors have to find breast cancer early, sometimes up to three years before it can be felt.

Mammogram

Also called: Breast Cancer Screening - Mammography, Screening Mammography, Diagnostic Mammography, Mammogram

A mammogram is a low-dose x-ray picture of the breast. A mammogram is used to look for early signs of breast cancer. Regular mammograms are the best tests doctors have to find breast cancer early, sometimes up to three years before it can be felt.

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Use the slider below to see how your results affect your health.
score
1
2
3
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Your result is Inconclusive.
A BI-RADS score of 0 indicates an incomplete test. This score doesn’t mean you are cancer-free—rather, it means your doctors don’t have enough information. Additional tests and images are required to provide a final assessment.
Related conditions
- Screening mammograms are done for women who have no symptoms of breast cancer. It usually involves two x-rays of each breast. Screening mammograms can detect lumps or tumors that cannot be felt. They can also find microcalcifications or tiny deposits of calcium in the breast, which sometimes mean that breast cancer is present.
- Diagnostic mammograms are used to check for breast cancer after a lump or other symptom or sign of breast cancer has been found. Signs of breast cancer may include pain, thickened skin on the breast, nipple discharge, or a change in breast size or shape. This type of mammogram also can be used to find out more about breast changes found on a screening mammogram, or to view breast tissue that is hard to see on a screening mammogram. A diagnostic mammogram takes longer than a screening mammogram because it involves more x-rays in order to obtain views of the breast from several angles. The technician can magnify a problem area to make a more detailed picture, which helps the doctor make a correct diagnosis.
A digital mammogram also uses x-rays to produce an image of the breast, but instead of storing the image directly on film, the image is stored directly on a computer. This allows the recorded image to be magnified for the doctor to take a closer look. Current research has not shown that digital images are better at showing cancer than x-ray film images in general. But, women with dense breasts who are pre- or perimenopausal, or who are younger than age 50, may benefit from having a digital rather than a film mammogram. Digital mammography may offer these benefits:
- Long-distance consultations with other doctors may be easier because the images can be shared by computer.
- Slight differences between normal and abnormal tissues may be more easily noted.
- The number of follow-up tests needed may be fewer.
- Fewer repeat images may be needed, reducing exposure to radiation.
A mammogram is a low-dose x-ray exam of the breasts to look for changes that are not normal. A mammogram allows the doctor to have a closer look for changes in breast tissue that cannot be felt during a breast exam. Women ages 50 to 74 years should get a mammogram every 2 years. Women younger than age 50 should talk to a doctor about when to start and how often to have a mammogram.
Mammograms can not find all problems. So, every woman should work with her doctor to check her breasts. Call your doctor or clinic if you notice any change in your breasts like:
- a lump
- thickening
- liquid leaking from the nipple or changes in how the nipple looks
First, check with the place you are having the mammogram for any special instructions you may need to follow before you go. Here are some general guidelines to follow:
- If you are still having menstrual periods, try to avoid making your mammogram appointment during the week before your period. Your breasts will be less tender and swollen. The mammogram will hurt less and the picture will be better.
- If you have breast implants, be sure to tell your mammography facility that you have them when you make your appointment.
- Wear a shirt with shorts, pants, or a skirt. This way, you can undress from the waist up and leave your shorts, pants, or skirt on when you get your mammogram.
- Don't wear any deodorant, perfume, lotion, or powder under your arms or on your breasts on the day of your mammogram appointment. These things can make shadows show up on your mammogram.
- If you have had mammograms at another facility, have those x-ray films sent to the new facility so that they can be compared to the new films.
- Tell the clinic if you have physical disabilities that may make it hard for you to sit up, lift your arms, or hold your breath.
- Talk with the staff about how they will handle issues of modesty that you may have due to your religion.

Breast tissue that shows no signs of a mass or calcifications is considered normal. Most abnormal findings on a screening mammogram turn out to be benign (not cancer) or nothing to worry about. New findings or changes must be further evaluated.

What can mammograms show?

The radiologist will look at your x-rays for breast changes that do not look normal and for differences in each breast. He or she will compare your past mammograms with your most recent one to check for changes. The doctor will also look for lumps and calcifications.

Possible mammogram findings include:

Lumps (mass or tumor). Lumps come in different sizes and shapes. Fluid-filled cysts are usually smooth and rounded, with clear, defined edges and are not cancer. Lumps that have a jagged outline and an irregular shape are of more concern.
Calcifications. There are two types of breast calcifications, or calcium deposits:
- Macrocalcifications, which look like small white dots on a mammogram. They are often caused by aging, an old injury, or inflammation and are usually benign.
- Microcalcifications, which look like white specks on a mammogram. If found in an area of rapidly dividing cells or grouped together in a certain way, they may be a sign of DCIS or breast cancer.
Dense breast tissue: A dense breast has relatively less fat and more glandular and connective tissue. This mammogram finding is both common and normal, especially among younger women and women who use menopausal hormone therapy. Dense breast tissue can make a mammogram more difficult to interpret because both dense breast tissue and breast tumors appear as solid white areas in the image.

What happens if my mammogram is normal?

Continue to get mammograms according to recommended time intervals. Mammograms work best when they can be compared with previous ones. This allows the radiologist to compare them to look for changes in your breasts.

What happens if my mammogram is abnormal?

An abnormal mammogram does not always mean that there is cancer. But you will need to have additional mammograms, tests, or exams before the doctor can tell for sure. You may also be referred to a breast specialist or a surgeon. It does not necessarily mean you have cancer or need surgery. These doctors are experts in diagnosing breast problems. Doctors may order some of these tests:

Diagnostic mammogram, to focus on a specific area of the breast
Ultrasound, an imaging test that uses sound waves to create a picture of your breast. The pictures may show whether a lump is solid or filled with fluid. A cyst is a fluid-filled sac. Cysts are not cancer. But a solid mass may be cancer. After the test, your doctor can store the pictures on video or print them out. This exam may be used along with a mammogram.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which uses a powerful magnet linked to a computer. MRI makes detailed pictures of breast tissue. Your doctor can view these pictures on a monitor or print them on film. MRI may be used along with a mammogram.
Biopsy, a test in which fluid or tissue is removed from your breast to help find out if there is cancer. Your doctor may refer you to a surgeon or to a doctor who is an expert in breast disease for a biopsy.

What is the Breast Imaging Reporting and Database System (BI-RADS®)?

The American College of Radiology (ACR) has established a uniform way for radiologists to describe mammogram findings. The system, called BI-RADS, includes seven standardized categories, or levels. Each BI-RADS category has a follow-up plan associated with it to help radiologists and other physicians appropriately manage a patient’s care.

Breast Imaging Reporting and Database System (BI-RADS)

Category	Assessment	Follow-up
0	Need additional imaging evaluation	Additional imaging needed before a category can be assigned
1	Negative	Continue regular screening mammograms
2	Benign (noncancerous) finding	Continue regular screening mammograms
3	Probably benign	Receive a 6-month follow-up mammogram
4	Suspicious abnormality	May require biopsy
5	Highly suggestive of malignancy (cancer)	Requires biopsy
6	Known biopsy-proven malignancy (cancer)	Biopsy confirms presence of cancer before treatment begins

BI-RADS also includes four categories of breast density that may be reported. The radiologist who reads the mammogram chooses the category that best describes the level of breast density seen on the mammogram film. The categories, from the least amount of breast density to the highest, are as follows:

The breasts are almost entirely fatty
There are scattered areas of dense glandular tissue and fibrous connective tissue (together known as fibroglandular density)
The breasts are heterogeneously dense, which means they have more of these areas of fibroglandular density. This may make it hard to see small masses in the breast tissue on a mammogram.
The breasts are extremely dense, which makes it hard to see tumors in the breast tissue on a mammogram.

Many states in the U.S. have enacted laws requiring mammography providers to tell women if they have dense breasts (i.e., breasts that are heterogeneously or extremely dense on a mammogram) and to inform them of risks associated with having dense breasts. In addition to making mammograms harder to read, dense breasts are a risk factor for breast cancer.

Although they are not perfect, mammograms are the best method to find breast changes that cannot be felt. If your mammogram shows a breast change, sometimes other tests are needed to better understand it. Even if the doctor sees something on the mammogram, it does not mean it is cancer.
As with any medical test, mammograms have limits. These limits include:
- They are only part of a complete breast exam. Your doctor also should do a clinical breast exam. If your mammogram finds something abnormal, your doctor will order other tests.
- Finding cancer does not always mean saving lives. Even though mammography can detect tumors that cannot be felt, finding a small tumor does not always mean that a woman's life will be saved. Mammography may not help a woman with a fast growing cancer that has already spread to other parts of her body before being found.
- False negatives can happen. This means everything may look normal, but cancer is actually present. False negatives don't happen often. Younger women are more likely to have a false negative mammogram than are older women. The dense breasts of younger women make breast cancers harder to find in mammograms.
- False positives can happen. This is when the mammogram results look like cancer is present, even though it is not. False positives are more common in younger women, women who have had breast biopsies, women with a family history of breast cancer, and women who are taking estrogen, such as menopausal hormone therapy.
- Mammograms (as well as dental x-rays and other routine x-rays) use very small doses of radiation. The risk of any harm is very slight, but repeated x-rays could cause cancer. The benefits nearly always outweigh the risk. Talk to your doctor about the need for each x-ray. Ask about shielding to protect parts of the body that are not in the picture. You should always let your doctor and the technician know if there is any chance that you are pregnant.
1. https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/mammograms [accessed on Feb 16, 2019]
2. https://www.nibib.nih.gov/science-education/science-topics/mammography [accessed on Feb 16, 2019]
3. https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/mammograms.htm [accessed on Feb 16, 2019]
4. https://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/mammograms-fact-sheet [accessed on Feb 16, 2019]
5. https://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/breast-changes#ui-id-4 [accessed on Feb 16, 2019]
6. https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ByAudience/ForWomen/WomensHealthTopics/ucm117967.htm [accessed on Feb 16, 2019]
7. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003380.htm [accessed on Feb 16, 2019]
8. https://www.healthline.com/health/birads-score [accessed on Feb 16, 2019]
9. https://www.acr.org/-/media/ACR/Files/RADS/BI-RADS/Mammography-Reporting.pdf [accessed on Feb 16, 2019]

Normal reference ranges can vary depending on the laboratory and the method used for testing. You must use the range supplied by the laboratory that performed your test to evaluate whether your results are "within normal limits."

Additional Materials (48)

Mammography Fact Sheet

Mammography is an x-ray imaging method used to examine the breast for the early detection of cancer and other breast diseases. It is used as both a diagnostic and screening tool.

Document by www.nibib.nih.gov

Mammograms

Document by Office on Women's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Top Four Mammogram Myths

Knowing the truth about mammograms could help save your life, or the life of someone you love. Over 60% of breast cancer cases are diagnosed before they spread. Nearly 90% of women who find and treat their breast cancer are cancer-free at five years. Mammograms can help reduce the number of deaths from breast cancer among women ages 40 to 70.

Image by The U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Screening for Cancer

Common Screening Tests and American Cancer Society Recommendations

Image by TheVisualMD

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Mammography

A woman getting a mammogram, showing a cone in position on her right breast.

Image by National Cancer Institute / Unknown Illustrator

Mammography

Image by BruceBlaus

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Mammogram

An adult female is assisted in a mammogram machine by an African-American technician.

Image by National Cancer Institute / Alan Hoofring (Illustrator)

Woman Having Mammogram

Photograph of woman having mammogram. Mammograms are considered the gold standard for breast cancer screening. Mammography requires the breasts to be compressed between plates while the image is captured. Typically, two views are taken of the breast: cranial-caudal (top to bottom) and mediolateral oblique (angled side view).

Image by TheVisualMD

Mammography

Mammogram being conducted

Image by CDC

Woman Receives Mammogram

An African-American female technician positions a Caucasian woman at an imaging machine to receive a mammogram.

Image by National Cancer Institute / Rhoda Baer (Photographer)

Woman Receives Mammogram

A Caucasian female technician positions an Asian woman at an imaging machine to receive a mammogram.

Image by National Cancer Institute / Rhoda Baer (Photographer)

Woman Receives Mammogram

A Caucasian female technician positions a Hispanic woman at an imaging machine to receive a mammogram.

Image by National Cancer Institute / Rhoda Baer (Photographer)

Woman Receives Mammogram

An Asian female technician positions an African-American woman at an imaging machine to receive a mammogram.

Image by National Cancer Institute / Rhoda Baer (Photographer)

Mammography Patient

A female technician prepares to give an older Caucasian female patient a mammogram. the patient is preparing for the exam next to machine with technician in background adjusting controls.

Image by National Cancer Institute / Bill Branson (Photographer)

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Mammography

A woman's breast being compressed to get the optimum mammographic image.

Image by National Cancer Institute / Bill Branson (Photographer)

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Mammography

A Caucasian female patient, while sitting, is receiving a mammogram with a technician is standing in the background. The conical tip is compressing the right breast and the left breast is visible. Note the older machine.

Image by National Cancer Institute / Unknown Photographer

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Mammography

A Caucasian female patient receives a lateral mammogram treatment. She is lying on her left side with the left breast compressed and she is holding her right breast out of the way so as to not block the x-ray. Note the older methods of the diagnostic procedure.

Image by National Cancer Institute / Unknown Photographer

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Mammography

A female Caucasian radiology technician preparing a 42 year old Caucasian woman for a mammogram. The technician is positioning the paddle that compresses the breast. The patient's face is turned towards the technician, away from the camera, and her right shoulder and breast are exposed.

Image by National Cancer Institute / Bill Branson (Photographer)

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Mammography

A female Caucasian radiology technician preparing a 42 year old Caucasian woman for a mammogram. The technician is positioning the paddle used to compress the breast. The patient's face is turned towards the technician, away from the camera, with her right shoulder and breast are exposed.

Image by National Cancer Institute / Bill Branson (Photographer)

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Mammography Patient

A female Caucasian radiology technician preparing a 42 year old Caucasian woman for a mammogram. The technician is positioning the paddle used to compress the breast. The patient's face is turned towards the technician, away from the camera. Her right shoulder is raised obscuring the breast.

Image by National Cancer Institute / Bill Branson (Photographer)

Male Breast Cancer

Senior Airman Elisabeth Stone compresses a male patient's breast tissue during a baseline screening of mammogram at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska

Image by Staff Sgt. Sheila deVera

Doctor Viewing Mammogram

A doctor examines mammograms on a view box.

Image by National Cancer Institute / Bill Branson (photographer)

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Mammogram Showing Dense And Fatty Breasts

Title Mammogram Showing Dense And Fatty Breasts Description A side-by-side of two normal mammograms showing the difference between a dense breast (left) and a fatty breast (right). The dense breast is that of a woman aged 39, the fatty breast is that of a 59-year old woman. Abnormal lesions are easier to detect and diagnose in a fatty breast making mammography more accurate.

Image by Dr. Kathy Cho. NIH Radiology / National Cancer Institute

Abnormal Mammogram

This abnormal mammogram is not necessarily cancerous. Also seen are calcifications through ductal patterns. Patient would be avised to have follow-up at 3-month intervals.

Image by National Cancer Institute / Unknown Photographer

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Mammogram vs. MRI

A mammography on left and a Magnetic resonance image (MRI) on right. Breast imaging technology has changed over the years. Note MRI's enhancement ability to confirm diagnosis.

Image by Mitchell D. Schnall, M.D., Ph.D. University Of Pennsylvania / Unknown Photographer

Bilateral digital mammography images of the breasts

Bilateral digital mammography images of the breasts; mediolateral oblique view.

Image by © Nevit Dilmen

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Normal (left) versus cancerous (right) mammography image.

Normal (left) versus cancerous (right) mammography image.

Image by National Cancer Institute

Duct ectasia of breast

Detail of a mammography showing liponecrosis (round/oval calcifications) and plasma cell mastitis with typical rod-like calcifications

Image by Hellerhoff

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Mammogram - Normal

Breast tomosynthesis (3D Mammography) of the left craniocaudal.

Image by National Cancer Institute (NCI)

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Mammogram - Normal

Breast tomosynthesis (3D Mammography) of the left craniocaudal projection.

Image by National Cancer Institute (NCI)

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Mammogram - Normal

Breast tomosynthesis (3D Mammography) of the left craniocaudal reconstruction.

Image by National Cancer Institute (NCI)

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Mammogram - Normal

Breast tomosynthesis (3D Mammography) of the left mediolateral oblique projection.

Image by National Cancer Institute (NCI)

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Mammogram Showing Dense And Fatty Breasts

A side-by-side of two normal mammograms showing the difference between a dense breast (left) and a fatty breast (right). The dense breast is that of a woman aged 39, the fatty breast is that of a 59-year old woman. Abnormal lesions are easier to detect and diagnose in a fatty breast making mammography more accurate.

Image by Dr. Kathy Cho. NIH Radiology / Unknown Photographer

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Thermography of breast

Image by FDA

Mammograms vs Breast Ultrasounds

Video by Lee Health/Vimeo

Breast Density: Higher Risk & New Screening Options

Video by Breast Cancer School for Patients/YouTube

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Mammography: NCI B-roll [video]

NCI B-roll of female patient (simulated) receiving a digital mammogram. This video is intentionally silent. This footage, which was filmed at Sibley Memorial Hospital (a Johns Hopkins affiliate institution), includes images of a technician setting up the equipment, a Caucasian female being positioned to receive a mammogram, and mammography images of of dense breasts and fatty breasts. Downloadable video files are 960x540 at 30 fps. This image is part of the NCI B-Roll Videos collection. View video using embedded player on this page or at youtube.com.

Video by National Cancer Institute (NCI)

What to Expect -- Digital Mammography

Video by Hologic, Inc./YouTube

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Mammography

Breast radiologist Dr.Gillian Newstead of the University of Chicago Medical Center explains the process of a typical mammogram screening.

Video by TheVisualMD

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Breast Density

Women with dense breast tissue often require a further look with ultrasound for screening. University of Chicago Medical Center breast radiologist Dr. Gillian Newstead and a breast cancer survivor with dense breast tissue explain.

Video by TheVisualMD

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Breast Cancer Screening & Diagnosis

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women in the U.S., with about 1 in 8 women developing the disease within her lifetime. Breast cancer is an uncontrolled growth of breast cells that has the potential to spread into the breast and possibly to other parts of the body. Early detection through screening saves the lives of thousands of women every year. If there is a history of breast cancer in the family, women should consider the BReast CAncer susceptibility test (or BRCA) to identify a gene that may indicate an increased risk of developing the disease. Women forty and over should be screened for abnormalities yearly to detect and evaluate changes in breast tissue. If an abnormality is found, a biopsy and pathological exam are necessary for a definitive diagnosis and prognosis. After diagnosis, your doctor may want to learn more about your specific cancer through immunohistochemistry (IHC) and HER2 protein tests. IHC testing can help determine if a specific abnormality is present in the cancer cells. HER2 tests can tell your physician if the breast cancer is turned on by the HER2 gene, and can help determine the best course of treatment. Knowing what type of breast cancer is involved, what stage the cancer is, and the characteristics of that specific cancer, allows a woman's physician to determine best possible therapy for her individual case.

Video by TheVisualMD

A closer look at modern mammography

Video by Siemens Healthineers/YouTube

Mammogram

A mammographic image is displayed on state of the art mammography monitors at the David Grant USAF Medical Center. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Liliana Moreno)

Image by U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Liliana Moreno

Nipple Aspirate Test No Substitute for Mammogram

Some companies are marketing a new test—the nipple aspirate test—as the latest and greatest tool in early breast cancer screening. But FDA warns that the nipple aspirate test is no substitute for a mammogram.

Image by The U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Do More Screening Tests Lead to Better Health? Choosing Wisely

Video by DocMikeEvans/YouTube

New Guidelines for Mammograms

Video by Lee Health/Vimeo

Mammogram questions | Mercy Health

Video by Bon Secours Mercy Health/Vimeo

Getting Screened for Breast Cancer

Video by Lee Health/Vimeo

Mammography Fact Sheet

www.nibib.nih.gov

Mammograms

Office on Women's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Top Four Mammogram Myths

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Screening for Cancer

TheVisualMD

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Mammography

National Cancer Institute / Unknown Illustrator

Mammography

BruceBlaus

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Mammogram

National Cancer Institute / Alan Hoofring (Illustrator)

Woman Having Mammogram

TheVisualMD

Mammography

CDC

Woman Receives Mammogram

National Cancer Institute / Rhoda Baer (Photographer)

Woman Receives Mammogram

National Cancer Institute / Rhoda Baer (Photographer)

Woman Receives Mammogram

National Cancer Institute / Rhoda Baer (Photographer)

Woman Receives Mammogram

National Cancer Institute / Rhoda Baer (Photographer)

Mammography Patient

National Cancer Institute / Bill Branson (Photographer)

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Mammography

National Cancer Institute / Bill Branson (Photographer)

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Mammography

National Cancer Institute / Unknown Photographer

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Mammography

National Cancer Institute / Unknown Photographer

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Mammography

National Cancer Institute / Bill Branson (Photographer)

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Mammography

National Cancer Institute / Bill Branson (Photographer)

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Mammography Patient

National Cancer Institute / Bill Branson (Photographer)

Male Breast Cancer

Staff Sgt. Sheila deVera

Doctor Viewing Mammogram

National Cancer Institute / Bill Branson (photographer)

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Mammogram Showing Dense And Fatty Breasts

Dr. Kathy Cho. NIH Radiology / National Cancer Institute

Abnormal Mammogram

National Cancer Institute / Unknown Photographer

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Mammogram vs. MRI

Mitchell D. Schnall, M.D., Ph.D. University Of Pennsylvania / Unknown Photographer

Bilateral digital mammography images of the breasts

© Nevit Dilmen

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Normal (left) versus cancerous (right) mammography image.

National Cancer Institute

Duct ectasia of breast

Hellerhoff

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Mammogram - Normal

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

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Mammogram - Normal

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

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Mammogram - Normal

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

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Mammogram - Normal

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

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Mammogram Showing Dense And Fatty Breasts

Dr. Kathy Cho. NIH Radiology / Unknown Photographer

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Thermography of breast

FDA

1:51

Mammograms vs Breast Ultrasounds

Lee Health/Vimeo

8:30

Breast Density: Higher Risk & New Screening Options

Breast Cancer School for Patients/YouTube

2:39

Mammography: NCI B-roll [video]

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

4:07

What to Expect -- Digital Mammography

Hologic, Inc./YouTube

0:37

Mammography

TheVisualMD

0:43

Breast Density

TheVisualMD

4:57

Breast Cancer Screening & Diagnosis

TheVisualMD

3:37

A closer look at modern mammography

Siemens Healthineers/YouTube

Mammogram

U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Liliana Moreno

Nipple Aspirate Test No Substitute for Mammogram

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration

10:18

Do More Screening Tests Lead to Better Health? Choosing Wisely

DocMikeEvans/YouTube

1:41

New Guidelines for Mammograms

Lee Health/Vimeo

1:08

Mammogram questions | Mercy Health

Bon Secours Mercy Health/Vimeo

1:45

Getting Screened for Breast Cancer

Lee Health/Vimeo

Breast Exam

Breast Exam

Also called: Breast Examination, Breast Self-Exam, BSE, Breast Self-Awareness, BSA, Clinical Breast Exam, CBE

A breast exam is a physical examination of the breast to check for lumps or other changes. Whether performed by yourself or by a healthcare provider, breast exams are essential for detecting any abnormalities in the breasts and promoting breast health.

Breast Exam

Also called: Breast Examination, Breast Self-Exam, BSE, Breast Self-Awareness, BSA, Clinical Breast Exam, CBE

A breast exam is a physical examination of the breast to check for lumps or other changes. Whether performed by yourself or by a healthcare provider, breast exams are essential for detecting any abnormalities in the breasts and promoting breast health.

{"label":"Breast Self-Exam reference range","description":"Being familiar with how your breasts look and feel can help you notice symptoms such as lumps, pain, or changes in size that may be of concern. Though most breast changes detected during a self-exam have benign causes, some changes may signal something serious, such as breast cancer. ","scale":"lin","step":0.25,"items":[{"flag":"negative","label":{"short":"No changes","long":"No changes","orientation":"horizontal"},"values":{"min":0,"max":1},"text":"Tenderness or lumpiness that occurs in both breasts is normal for many women. Every month leading up to your period, your breasts may feel fuller, lumpier and more tender \u2014 this is also normal.","conditions":[]},{"flag":"positive","label":{"short":"Changes detected","long":"Changes detected","orientation":"horizontal"},"values":{"min":1,"max":2},"text":"Changes may include one breast appearing larger than the other, a hard lump or knot, nipple discharge, a rash, swelling, and dimpling or puckering of the skin. If you notice anything unusual, tell your doctor right away. In many cases, those changes aren\u2019t cancer, but you need to see your doctor to find out.","conditions":[]}],"hideunits":true,"value":0.5}[{"negative":0},{"positive":0}]
Use the slider below to see how your results affect your health.
Your result is No changes.
Tenderness or lumpiness that occurs in both breasts is normal for many women. Every month leading up to your period, your breasts may feel fuller, lumpier and more tender — this is also normal.
Related conditions
{"label":"Clinical Breast Exam reference range","description":"A clinical breast exam (CBE) is a physical exam of the breast performed by a health care provider to check for lumps or other changes. It\u2019s often done during your regular medical check-up. If a CBE is not offered at your check-up and you would like one, ask your health care provider to perform one (or refer you to someone who can).","scale":"lin","step":0.25,"items":[{"flag":"normal","label":{"short":"Normal","long":"Normal","orientation":"horizontal"},"values":{"min":0,"max":1},"text":"A normal or negative result means that the nipples, breast tissue, and areas around the breast look normal and are normal in size and shape. A normal result does not mean that breast cancer is not present. Depending on your age and your personal and family history of breast cancer, your health care provider may do other tests, such as a mammogram.","conditions":[]},{"flag":"abnormal","label":{"short":"Abnormal","long":"Abnormal","orientation":"horizontal"},"values":{"min":1,"max":2},"text":"An abnormal result can detect various issues concerning the nipples, breast tissue and the areas around the breast. If your exam does find something abnormal, you\u2019ll need follow-up tests to check whether or not the finding is breast cancer.","conditions":["Breast abscess","Breast lumps","Breast cysts","Breast cancer","Fibrocystic breast changes","Mastitis"]}],"hideunits":true,"value":0.5}[{"normal":0},{"abnormal":0}]
Use the slider below to see how your results affect your health.
Your result is Normal.
A normal or negative result means that the nipples, breast tissue, and areas around the breast look normal and are normal in size and shape. A normal result does not mean that breast cancer is not present. Depending on your age and your personal and family history of breast cancer, your health care provider may do other tests, such as a mammogram.
Related conditions
A clinical breast exam can be divided into three components: inspection, palpation and lymph node exam.
- Visual inspection — your doctor or nurse will visually inspect your breasts while you are seated or standing. They will look for any changes in breast size or shape, skin changes (such as redness, dimpling, or puckering), or nipple abnormalities.
- Palpation — your doctor or nurse will use their hands to feel (palpate) your breasts and the surrounding areas. They will use gentle pressure and specific patterns of touch to systematically examine the entire breast tissue, including the glands, ducts, and lymph nodes in the armpit (axilla). This palpation helps detect any lumps, areas of thickening, or other abnormalities that may be present.
- Lymph node exam — your doctor or nurse may also perform palpation of the lymph nodes in the axilla (armpit) to check for any enlarged or abnormal lymph nodes, which could be a sign of breast cancer spreading to nearby lymph nodes.

Typically, the results of CBE can be interpreted in two ways:
- Normal/negative: No abnormalities on visual inspection or palpation.
- Abnormal: Asymmetrical finding on either visual inspection or palpation that warrants further evaluation and possible referral. Findings will reflect a continuum of possible outcomes, from probably benign to highly suspicious of cancer. Determination of benign or malignant status, however, can be established only through further evaluation.
In case of a BSE or BSA, the following changes should be reported to your healthcare provider:
- new lump in or near the breast or under the arm
- thickening or swelling of part of the breast
- irritation or dimpling of breast skin
- redness or flaky skin in the nipple area or the breast
- pulling in of the nipple or pain in the nipple area
- nipple discharge other than breast milk that occurs without squeezing
- any change in the size or the shape of the breast
- pain in any area of the breast
Keep in mind that some of these warning signs can happen with other conditions that are not cancer.
1. PDQ® Screening and Prevention Editorial Board. PDQ Breast Cancer Screening. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute. [accessed on Jan 15, 2022]
2. Breast Exam | Michigan Medicine [accessed on Jan 15, 2022]
3. Breast Exams and Mammograms. State of Illinois. [accessed on Apr 29, 2024]
4. Breast Exam | Stanford Medicine 25 | Stanford Medicine. Apr 29, 2024 [accessed on Apr 29, 2024]
5. What Is Breast Cancer Screening? | CDC. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nov 17, 2022 [accessed on Apr 29, 2024]
6. Detecting breast changes through breast self-awareness [accessed on Apr 29, 2024]
7. https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.3322/canjclin.54.6.327 [accessed on Apr 29, 2024]

Normal reference ranges can vary depending on the laboratory and the method used for testing. You must use the range supplied by the laboratory that performed your test to evaluate whether your results are "within normal limits."

Additional Materials (20)

Breast Exam (Series of 16)

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Clinical Breast Examination

This is a series of 16 photos demonstrating the 16 steps of a clinical breast examination. The image shows a female nude from the waist up. The steps are as follows: 1) arms in normal position 2) arms on hips 3) pressed forward elbows 4) pressed forward 5) arms overhead 6) arms overhead 7) arms raised and pressing down 8) exam of cervical nodes 9) exam of supraclavicular 10) infraclavicular 11) axilla 12) exam of breast 13) axilla 14) breast exam 15) exam of nipple 16) exam of nipple for discharge.

Interactive by National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Breast Self-Awareness

Most women are familiar with the Breast Self- Exam as one of the tools used for breast cancer screening. However, new guidelines are suggesting a slightly different, simplified approach referred to as Breast Self-Awareness.

Document by Kentucky Women's Cancer Screening Program (KWCSP)

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Breast Exam (Series of 16)

This is a series of 16 photos demonstrating the 16 steps of a clinical breast examination. The image shows a female nude from the waist up with a doctors hand examining her throat. The steps are as follows: 1) arms in normal position 2) arms on hips 3) pressed forward elbows 4) pressed forward 5) arms overhead 6) arms overhead 7) arms raised and pressing down 8) exam of cervical nodes 9) exam of supraclavicular 10) infraclavicular 11) axilla 12) exam of breast 13) axilla 14) breast exam 15) exam of nipple 16) exam of nipple for discharge.

Image by National Cancer Institute / Photogroup (Photographer)

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Breast Exam (Series of 16)

This is a series of 16 photos demonstrating the 16 steps of a clinical breast examination. The image shows a female nude from the waist up with a doctors hands examining her. The steps are as follows: 1) arms in normal position 2) arms on hips 3) pressed forward elbows 4) pressed forward 5) arms overhead 6) arms overhead 7) arms raised and pressing down 8) exam of cervical nodes 9) exam of supraclavicular 10) infraclavicular 11) axilla 12) exam of breast 13) axilla 14) breast exam 15) exam of nipple 16) exam of nipple for discharge.

Image by National Cancer Institute / Photogroup (Photographer)

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Breast Exam (Series of 16)

This is a series of 16 photos demonstrating the 16 steps of a clinical breast examination. The image shows a female nude from the waist up with a doctors hands examining her. The steps are as follows: 1) arms in normal position 2) arms on hips 3) pressed forward elbows 4) pressed forward 5) arms overhead 6) arms overhead 7) arms raised and pressing down 8) exam of cervical nodes 9) exam of supraclavicular 10) infraclavicular 11) axilla 12) exam of breast 13) axilla 14) breast exam 15) exam of nipple 16) exam of nipple for discharge.

Image by National Cancer Institute / Photogroup (Photographer)

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Breast Exam (Series of 16)

This is a series of 16 photos demonstrating the 16 steps of a clinical breast examination. The image shows a female nude from the waist up with a doctors hands examining. The steps are as follows: 1) arms in normal position 2) arms on hips 3) pressed forward elbows 4) pressed forward 5) arms overhead 6) arms overhead 7) arms raised and pressing down 8) exam of cervical nodes 9) exam of supraclavicular 10) infraclavicular 11) axilla 12) exam of breast 13) axilla 14) breast exam 15) exam of nipple 16) exam of nipple for discharge.

Image by National Cancer Institute / Photogroup (Photographer)

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Breast Exam (Series of 16)

This is a series of 16 photos demonstrating the 16 steps of a clinical breast examination. The image shows a female nude from the waist up with a doctors hands examining. The steps are as follows: 1) arms in normal position 2) arms on hips 3) pressed forward elbows 4) pressed forward 5) arms overhead 6) arms overhead 7) arms raised and pressing down 8) exam of cervical nodes 9) exam of supraclavicular 10) infraclavicular 11) axilla 12) exam of breast 13) axilla 14) breast exam 15) exam of nipple 16) exam of nipple for discharge.

Image by National Cancer Institute / Photogroup (Photographer)

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Breast Exam (Series of 16)

This is a series of 16 photos demonstrating the 16 steps of a clinical breast examination. The image shows a female nude from the waist up with a doctors hand examining. The steps are as follows: 1) arms in normal position 2) arms on hips 3) pressed forward elbows 4) pressed forward 5) arms overhead 6) arms overhead 7) arms raised and pressing down 8) exam of cervical nodes 9) exam of supraclavicular 10) infraclavicular 11) axilla 12) exam of breast 13) axilla 14) breast exam 15) exam of nipple 16) exam of nipple for discharge.

Image by National Cancer Institute / Photogroup (Photographer)

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Breast Exam (Series of 16)

This is a series of 16 photos demonstrating the 16 steps of a clinical breast examination. The image shows a female nude from the waist up with a doctors hands examining. The steps are as follows: 1) arms in normal position 2) arms on hips 3) pressed forward elbows 4) pressed forward 5) arms overhead 6) arms overhead 7) arms raised and pressing down 8) exam of cervical nodes 9) exam of supraclavicular 10) infraclavicular 11) axilla 12) exam of breast 13) axilla 14) breast exam 15) exam of nipple 16) exam of nipple for discharge.

Image by National Cancer Institute / Photogroup (Photographer)

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Breast Exam (Series of 16)

This is a series of 16 photos demonstrating the 16 steps of a clinical breast examination. The image shows a female nude from the waist up with a doctors hands examining. The steps are as follows: 1) arms in normal position 2) arms on hips 3) pressed forward elbows 4) pressed forward 5) arms overhead 6) arms overhead 7) arms raised and pressing down 8) exam of cervical nodes 9) exam of supraclavicular 10) infraclavicular 11) axilla 12) exam of breast 13) axilla 14) breast exam 15) exam of nipple 16) exam of nipple for discharge.

Image by National Cancer Institute / Photogroup (Photographer)

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Breast Exam (Series of 16)

This is a series of 16 photos demonstrating the 16 steps of a clinical breast examination. The image shows a female nude from the waist up. The steps are as follows: 1) arms in normal position 2) arms on hips 3) pressed forward elbows 4) pressed forward 5) arms overhead 6) arms overhead 7) arms raised and pressing down 8) exam of cervical nodes 9) exam of supraclavicular 10) infraclavicular 11) axilla 12) exam of breast 13) axilla 14) breast exam 15) exam of nipple 16) exam of nipple for discharge.

Image by National Cancer Institute / Photogroup (Photographer)

Self Breast Exam

Video by Everyday Health/YouTube

How to Perform a Breast Self-Exam presented by City of Hope & The Pink Patch Project

Video by City of Hope/YouTube

Breast Self Examination

Video by Fortis Healthcare/YouTube

Why young women should learn how to do a breast self-exam | Betsy Nilan | TEDxHartford

Video by TEDx Talks/YouTube

NHS Breast Cancer Screening - Module 1

Video by ASKVisualScience/YouTube

NHS Breast Cancer Screening - Module 2

Video by ASKVisualScience/YouTube

NHS Breast Cancer Screening - Module 3

Video by ASKVisualScience/YouTube

NHS Breast Cancer Screening - Module 4

Video by ASKVisualScience/YouTube

Breast self-exam (BSE)

Document by Alabama Department of Public Health

Clinical Breast Examination

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Breast Self-Awareness

Kentucky Women's Cancer Screening Program (KWCSP)

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Breast Exam (Series of 16)

National Cancer Institute / Photogroup (Photographer)

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Breast Exam (Series of 16)

National Cancer Institute / Photogroup (Photographer)

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Breast Exam (Series of 16)

National Cancer Institute / Photogroup (Photographer)

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Breast Exam (Series of 16)

National Cancer Institute / Photogroup (Photographer)

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Breast Exam (Series of 16)

National Cancer Institute / Photogroup (Photographer)

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Breast Exam (Series of 16)

National Cancer Institute / Photogroup (Photographer)

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Breast Exam (Series of 16)

National Cancer Institute / Photogroup (Photographer)

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Breast Exam (Series of 16)

National Cancer Institute / Photogroup (Photographer)

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Breast Exam (Series of 16)

National Cancer Institute / Photogroup (Photographer)

1:51

Self Breast Exam

Everyday Health/YouTube

2:50

How to Perform a Breast Self-Exam presented by City of Hope & The Pink Patch Project

City of Hope/YouTube

3:41

Breast Self Examination

Fortis Healthcare/YouTube

14:21

Why young women should learn how to do a breast self-exam | Betsy Nilan | TEDxHartford

TEDx Talks/YouTube

2:07

NHS Breast Cancer Screening - Module 1

ASKVisualScience/YouTube

1:22

NHS Breast Cancer Screening - Module 2

ASKVisualScience/YouTube

1:52

NHS Breast Cancer Screening - Module 3

ASKVisualScience/YouTube

2:05

NHS Breast Cancer Screening - Module 4

ASKVisualScience/YouTube

Breast self-exam (BSE)

Alabama Department of Public Health

Breast Biopsy

Breast Biopsy

Also called: Biopsy of the Breast, Breast Biopsy

A breast biopsy is a test that can confirm or rule out breast cancer. It is used if other breast tests or a physical exam show you might have breast cancer. There are three main types of breast biopsy procedures: fine-needle aspiration, core needle biopsy, and surgical biopsy.

Breast Biopsy

Also called: Biopsy of the Breast, Breast Biopsy

A breast biopsy is a test that can confirm or rule out breast cancer. It is used if other breast tests or a physical exam show you might have breast cancer. There are three main types of breast biopsy procedures: fine-needle aspiration, core needle biopsy, and surgical biopsy.

{"label":"Breast Biopsy reference range","description":"A breast biopsy is a test that can confirm or rule out breast cancer. It is used if other breast tests or a physical exam show you might have breast cancer. There are three main types of breast biopsy procedures: fine-needle aspiration, core needle biopsy, and surgical biopsy.","scale":"lin","step":0.25,"items":[{"flag":"normal","label":{"short":"Normal","long":"Normal","orientation":"horizontal"},"values":{"min":0,"max":1},"text":"A normal biopsy means that no cancer or abnormal cells were found.","conditions":[]},{"flag":"borderline","label":{"short":"Abnormal, but benign","long":"Abnormal, but benign","orientation":"horizontal"},"values":{"min":1,"max":2},"text":"If no cancer cells are found, your biopsy result will show breast changes that are not cancer (benign). These include calcium deposits and cysts. More testing and\/or follow-up treatment may be needed.","conditions":["Usual ductal hyperplasia","Calcium deposits","Adenosis","Sclerosing adenosis","Radial scar, complex","Sclerosing lesion","Papillomatosis","Papilloma","Apocrine metaplasia","Cysts","Columnar cell change","Collagenous spherulosis","Duct ectasia","Fibrocystic changes","Flat epithelial atypia","Columnar alteration with prominent apical snouts and secretions (CAPSS)"]},{"flag":"abnormal","label":{"short":"Cancer cells found","long":"Cancer cells found","orientation":"horizontal"},"values":{"min":2,"max":3},"text":"If cancer cells are found, your biopsy result will include information about the cancer to help you and your health care provider develop a treatment plan that best meets your needs. ","conditions":["Breast cancer",""]}],"hideunits":true,"value":0.5}[{"normal":0},{"borderline":0},{"abnormal":0}]
Use the slider below to see how your results affect your health.
Your result is Normal.
A normal biopsy means that no cancer or abnormal cells were found.
Related conditions
You may need a breast biopsy if:
- You or your health care provider felt a lump, thickening, or other change in your breast.
- A mammogram, ultrasound, or MRI test shows a lump, calcium deposits, or other signs that might mean cancer.
- The skin on your breast or nipple is red, scaly, or swollen, or your nipple is pulled inward.
- You have a discharge of abnormal fluid coming from your nipple.
If your provider suggests that you have a breast biopsy, it doesn't mean you have breast cancer. Most breast lumps and other changes that are checked with biopsies turn out to be benign, which means they are not cancer.
There are three main types of breast biopsy procedures. They are usually done on an outpatient basis, which means you go home the same day:
- Fine needle aspiration biopsy uses a very thin needle to remove a sample of breast cells or fluid. The biopsy takes about 15 minutes.
- Core needle biopsy uses a wide needle to remove one or more small tissue samples about the size of a grain of rice. Sometimes a small vacuum probe is used instead of a needle. The device gently suctions some tissue and removes it with a small rotating blade. A core needle biopsy takes between 15 minutes and an hour, depending on how it's done.
- Surgical biopsy (or open biopsy) is surgery to remove all or part of a lump. The biopsy usually takes about an hour.
Biopsies are often done using mammography, ultrasound, MRI, or x-rays to help see exactly where to take the tissue sample. Your procedure will vary depending on which method is used to guide the biopsy, but the general steps are usually the same.
For a fine needle aspiration biopsy or a core needle biopsy:
- Your provider will clean the skin on your breast and give you a shot of medicine to numb the area, so you won't feel any pain. The shot may sting briefly.
- You may be sitting or lying down. If images are used to guide the biopsy, you may lie on your side, back, or belly with your breast over an opening on the table.
- For a fine needle aspiration biopsy, your provider will insert the needle into the biopsy site and remove a sample of cells or fluid. For a core biopsy, a tiny cut may be made to insert a wide needle or a vacuum device. You may feel a little pressure when the sample or samples are removed.
- Pressure will be applied to area until the bleeding stops.
- Your provider will cover the biopsy site with a sterile bandage. If you had a small incision, small strips of medical tape may be used to close the wound.
For a surgical biopsy:
- You'll lie on an operating table. You may have an IV (intravenous line) in your arm or hand that may be used to give you medicine to relax. The skin over the biopsy area will be cleaned.
- To prevent pain, you'll have either:
  A shot of medicine to numb your breast. The shot may sting briefly.
  General anesthesia, which is medicine given through an IV to make you sleep.
- When you are numb or asleep, the surgeon will make a small cut in your breast tissue to remove part or all of the lump. In certain cases, tissue around the lump may also be removed. This may help avoid the need for more surgery if cancer cells are found in the lump.
- The cut in your skin will be closed with small strips of medical tape or stitches and covered with a sterile bandage.
The type of biopsy you have will depend on:
- The size and location of the suspicious tissue in your breast
- How many areas of your breast are involved
- How abnormal the tissue looks on a mammogram or other image
- Your general health and preferences
Ask your provider about why you need a biopsy and which type is right for you.
It's common to have some bruising and temporary discomfort after a breast biopsy. Possible risks include:
- Infection, which can be treated with antibiotics
- Bleeding
Your provider will give you instructions for how to care for biopsy area and manage any discomfort. If you're having general anesthesia, talk with your provider about how it may affect you. General anesthesia is very safe even for most people with other health conditions.
It may take several days to a week to get your biopsy results. The results are called a pathology report. The report is written for your provider and will include a lot of medical terms. Your provider can explain what your report means.
The most important part of your report will be the diagnosis. In general, your results will be one of these categories:
- Normal. No cancer or abnormal cells were found.
- Abnormal breast changes that aren't cancer and don't increase your risk for breast cancer. Some of these conditions often get better on their own and others may need treatment.
- Abnormal breast changes that increase your risk for breast cancer. These cells are not cancer, but if you have them, you are more likely to develop cancer.
  If you had a needle biopsy that diagnosed a condition that increases your breast cancer risk, you may need a surgical biopsy to remove all the abnormal tissue. To find out what you can do to reduce your breast cancer risk, you will likely see a doctor who specializes in breast cancer.
- Breast cancer. If your biopsy finds cancer cells, your report will include details about how fast the cancer cells are growing, how much they look like normal cells, and other information to help plan the most effective treatment for your type of cancer. Usually, a doctor who specializes in breast cancer will provide your care.
1. Breast Biopsy: MedlinePlus Medical Test [accessed on Mar 22, 2022]
2. Having a Breast Biopsy | Effective Health Care (EHC) Program [accessed on Mar 22, 2022]

Normal reference ranges can vary depending on the laboratory and the method used for testing. You must use the range supplied by the laboratory that performed your test to evaluate whether your results are "within normal limits."

Additional Materials (13)

PreOp® Breast Biopsy Wire Guide Patient Education - Patient Engagement

Video by PreOp.com Patient Engagement - Patient Education/YouTube

How a core breast biopsy is taken

Video by Bupa Health UK/YouTube

Stereotactic Biopsies for Breast Evaluation | UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital

Video by UPMC/YouTube

What It’s Like to Get a Breast Biopsy

Video by RAYUS Radiology™/YouTube

Ultrasound-guided core-needle breast biopsy

Video by Institute for Cancer Genetics and Informatics/YouTube

Having a breast biopsy. A review of the research for women and thier families (2016 report)

This information is right for you if: -- You are a woman. The information in this summary is from research on women. -- Your doctor has found a breast lump or shadow on your mammogram and has recommended a breast biopsy.

Document by effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov

Ultrasound Guided Breast Biopsy 1

Ultrasound image of possible breast tumor before biopsy. The procedure is performed by a radiologist and sonographer. A local anesthetic is injected into the breast. The transducer is pressed to the breast and the suspicious area is located. The biopsy needle is inserted in the breast and guided in realtime by watching its movement through the breast on a computer monitor. The tissue sample is taken and the needle is removed.

Image by TheVisualMD

Ultrasound Guided Breast Biopsy 2

Ultrasound image of possible breast tumor showing core needle penetrating suspicious breast lesion during biopsy. The procedure is performed by a radiologist and sonographer. A local anesthetic is injected into the breast. The transducer is pressed to the breast and the suspicious area is located. The biopsy needle is inserted in the breast and guided in realtime by watching its movement through the breast on a computer monitor. The tissue sample is taken and the needle is removed.

Image by TheVisualMD

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Needle Biopsy

Adult Black female breast visible. Physician's hands are seen performing a needle biopsy to determine nature of lump either fluid-filled cyst or solid tumor.

Image by National Cancer Institute / Linda Bartlett (Photographer)

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Biopsy

A Caucasian woman patient is being operated on. Her nipple is being incised by the surgeon. The male surgeon and an operating room attendant are visible. A surgical biopsy is being performed to determine exact nature of solid tumor.

Image by National Cancer Institute / Linda Bartlett (Photographer)

Breast Biopsy

Image Caption : Needle Breast Biopsy

Image by BruceBlaus

Mammotome

Mammotome probe - biopsy

Image by Waglione/Wikimedia

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Breast Cancer Biopsy

If a woman has symptoms of breast cancer (such as a lump), or if a suspicious area is found in an imaging exam, the next step is to physically examine the breasts by noting any changes in their appearance and palpating the breast and the underarm region. A complete physical exam may be done as well. If symptoms or results of these exams suggest cancer might be present, then further tests will be done. (Note: The following diagnostic procedures are common to the US; procedures may vary in other countries.)

Video by TheVisualMD

2:22

PreOp® Breast Biopsy Wire Guide Patient Education - Patient Engagement

PreOp.com Patient Engagement - Patient Education/YouTube

1:39

How a core breast biopsy is taken

Bupa Health UK/YouTube

2:47

Stereotactic Biopsies for Breast Evaluation | UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital

UPMC/YouTube

3:57

What It’s Like to Get a Breast Biopsy

RAYUS Radiology™/YouTube

1:29

Ultrasound-guided core-needle breast biopsy

Institute for Cancer Genetics and Informatics/YouTube

Having a breast biopsy. A review of the research for women and thier families (2016 report)

effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov

Ultrasound Guided Breast Biopsy 1

TheVisualMD

Ultrasound Guided Breast Biopsy 2

TheVisualMD

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Needle Biopsy

National Cancer Institute / Linda Bartlett (Photographer)

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Biopsy

National Cancer Institute / Linda Bartlett (Photographer)

Breast Biopsy

BruceBlaus

Mammotome

Waglione/Wikimedia

0:56

Breast Cancer Biopsy

TheVisualMD

Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy

Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy

Also called: SLNB, Biopsy of the Sentinel Lymph Node, Lymph Node Biopsy, Sentinel Node Biopsy, Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping and Biopsy, Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy

A sentinel lymph node biopsy is a test that checks lymph nodes for cancer cells. Some cancers, such as breast cancer and melanoma, can spread through the lymphatic system. The sentinel lymph node is the first node where a cancer usually spreads. The test can show whether your cancer is likely to spread.

Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy

Also called: SLNB, Biopsy of the Sentinel Lymph Node, Lymph Node Biopsy, Sentinel Node Biopsy, Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping and Biopsy, Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy

A sentinel lymph node biopsy is a test that checks lymph nodes for cancer cells. Some cancers, such as breast cancer and melanoma, can spread through the lymphatic system. The sentinel lymph node is the first node where a cancer usually spreads. The test can show whether your cancer is likely to spread.

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Use the slider below to see how your results affect your health.
Your result is Negative.
If your results are negative, it means no cancer cells were found, and it's unlikely that the cancer has spread. You will not need to have any more lymph nodes removed.
Related conditions
Breast cancer
Melanoma
Penile cancer
Endometrial cancer
A sentinel lymph node biopsy may be done in a hospital or an outpatient surgical center. The procedure usually includes a special type of imaging test called lymphoscintigraphy. Lymphoscintigraphy may also be called lymph node mapping. It is the process of taking pictures of your lymphatic system to locate the sentinel lymph node. The procedure includes the following steps:
- Your provider will apply medicine to numb the skin over the procedure area.
- You will be injected with a small amount of a radioactive substance called a tracer near the tumor. The tracer will travel and collect in the sentinel lymph node, or nodes. You may also be injected with a blue dye that stains the lymph node, making it easier to see.
- You will be given general anesthesia. General anesthesia is a medicine that makes you unconscious. It makes sure you won't feel any pain during the surgery. A specially trained doctor called an anesthesiologist will give you this medicine.
- Once you’re unconscious, a camera will take images of the area. The camera finds and records the location of the tracer, which will have settled in the sentinel node.
- The node will be removed and sent to a lab, where it will be checked for cancer cells. This part of the test is known as a biopsy.
- The original tumor is also usually removed during the procedure.
- You may have a little bleeding, pain, or bruising at the biopsy site.
- There is also a small risk of infection, which can be treated with antibiotics.
- Allergic reactions to the tracer are rare and usually mild.
- If only the sentinel lymph node is removed, there is a low risk of lymphedema (swelling, usually of the arms or legs) from the lymph fluid. The risk increases with the number of lymph nodes removed.
There is very little exposure to radiation in a sentinel lymph node biopsy. While radiation exposure from the tracer in a sentinel lymph node biopsy is safe for most adults, it can be harmful to a developing baby. So be sure to tell your provider if you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant.
While sentinel lymph node biopsies are mostly used to stage breast cancer or melanoma, it is sometimes used for penile and uterine cancer. It is also being studied for use with other types of cancer, including:
- Colon cancer
- Stomach cancer
- Thyroid cancer
- Non-small cell lung cancer
1. Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy: MedlinePlus Medical Test [accessed on Oct 18, 2024]
2. Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy - NCI. National Cancer Institute. Jun 25, 2019 [accessed on Feb 03, 2024]
3. Melanoma: Tests After Diagnosis - Health Encyclopedia - University of Rochester Medical Center [accessed on Feb 03, 2024]

Normal reference ranges can vary depending on the laboratory and the method used for testing. You must use the range supplied by the laboratory that performed your test to evaluate whether your results are "within normal limits."

Additional Materials (50)

Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy of the Breast

Sentinel lymph node biopsy of the breast. The first of three panels shows a radioactive substance and/or blue dye injected near the tumor; the middle panel shows that the injected material is followed visually and/or with a probe that detects radioactivity to find the sentinel nodes (the first lymph nodes to take up the material); the third panel shows the removal of the tumor and the sentinel nodes to check for cancer cells. Sentinel lymph node biopsy of the breast. A radioactive substance and/or blue dye is injected near the tumor (first panel). The injected material is detected visually and/or with a probe that detects radioactivity (middle panel). The sentinel nodes (the first lymph nodes to take up the material) are removed and checked for cancer cells (last panel).

Image by © 2019 Terese Winslow LLC

What is a sentinel lymph node biopsy?

Video by University of Minnesota Health/YouTube

Sentinel Lymph Node & Axillary Lymph Node Procedures for Breast Cancer - Mayo Clinic

Video by Mayo Clinic/YouTube

Surgery for Melanoma Patients: Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy and Complete Lymph Node Dissection

Video by American Cancer Society/YouTube

Sentinel Node Biopsy: Breast Cancer Lymph Node Surgery

Video by Breast Cancer School for Patients/YouTube

Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping for Gynecologic Cancers

Video by Memorial Sloan Kettering/YouTube

Introduction to the Lymphatic System

Video by Osmosis/YouTube

Lymphatic System, Part 2

Video by Tammy Moore/YouTube

The Lymphatic System, Part 1

Video by Tammy Moore/YouTube

The lymphatic system's role in immunity | Lymphatic system physiology | NCLEX-RN | Khan Academy

Video by khanacademymedicine/YouTube

lymphatic system

Diagram of the lymphatic system.

Image by Cancer Research UK / Wikimedia Commons

Lymphatic System

Lymphatic System

Image by NIH

Lymph Node of Head and Neck

3D visualization reconstructed from scanned human data of male revealing lymphatic structures (lacrimal glands, tonsils, salivary glands, thymus, subclavian veins axillary nodes, stomach, cisterna chyli). The lymphatic system works in concert with the immune system. It can be described as an extensive network of vessels that shuttle molecular waste-filled fluid (lymph) through purifiying centers called lymph nodes.

Image by TheVisualMD

Lymphatic, circulatory and nervous systems

The systems of the human body consist of: circulatory, digestive, endocrine, immune/lymphatic, integumentary, muscular, reproductive, skeletal, urinary. This image depicts the circulatory, endocrine, immune/lymphatic, nervous

Image by TheVisualMD

Babies Sitting Showing Respiratory Lymphatic Circulatory and Skeletal Systems

One of the most obvious ways that we notice the overall immune health of a baby is through the presence or absence of respiratory infections. Respiratory illness is the leading cause of hospitalization among young children. Lymph nodes and vessels are a direct component of the immune system. Lymph nodes are encapsulated bundles of lymph tissue found throughout the body especially in the neck, axillae, groin, and thoracic regions. Lymph tissue aids the immune system by collecting and breaking down toxins and other waste products of the body. Lymph vessels transport lymph, a clear fluid derived from intercellular spaces around the body, eventually back into the blood. An infant's circulatory system will face an olympian job over the course of the individual's lifetime; the heart will beat 2.5 billion times and pump millions of gallons of blood through the body's vast network of arteries and veins. An infant's heart doubles in size the first year of life. Nutrition plays a key role in the development and maintenance of a healthy circulatory system by providing building blocks such as iron needed for red blood cell production.

Image by TheVisualMD

Lymphatic System

Lymphatic Trunks and Ducts System

Image by OpenStax College

Babies Sitting Showing Respiratory Lymphatic Circulatory and Skeletal Systems

One of the most obvious ways that we notice the overall immune health of a baby is through the presence or absence of respiratory infections. Respiratory illness is the leading cause of hospitalization among young children. Lymph nodes and vessels are a direct component of the immune system. Lymph nodes are encapsulated bundles of lymph tissue found throughout the body especially in the neck, axillae, groin, and thoracic regions. Lymph tissue aids the immune system by collecting and breaking down toxins and other waste products of the body. Lymph vessels transport lymph, a clear fluid derived from intercellular spaces around the body, eventually back into the blood. An infant's circulatory system will face an olympian job over the course of the individual's lifetime; the heart will beat 2.5 billion times and pump millions of gallons of blood through the body's vast network of arteries and veins. An infant's heart doubles in size the first year of life. Nutrition plays a key role in the development and maintenance of a healthy circulatory system by providing building blocks such as iron, needed for red blood cell production.

Image by TheVisualMD

In Defense of You: Your Immune System

Image by TheVisualMD

Lymph Node and Lymph interstitial fluid

Lymph Node and Vasculature: The image shows a human lymph node and its vasculature (blood vessels). Lymph nodes are encapsulated bundles of lymph tissue found throughout the body, especially in the neck, armpit, groin, lung, and aortic areas. These aggregations of lymph tissue aid the immunological system by collecting and breaking down toxins and other waste products of the body.

Image by TheVisualMD

Lymph Node with Vasculature

Computer generated illustration of a human lymph node and its vasculature. Lymph nodes are encapsulated bundles of lymph tissue found throughout the body especially in the neck, axillae, groin, lung and aortic areas. These aggregations of lymph tissue aid the immunological system by collecting and breaking down toxins and other waste products of the body.

Image by TheVisualMD

Immune System and Autoimmune Diseases

Normally, an individual's immune system learns to identify and ignore all of the distinctive little structures found on that individual's own cells. Sometimes, however, it will make a mistake and identify its own body as foreign. If that happens, the immune system produces antibodies that attempt to destroy the body's own cells in the same way it would try to destroy a foreign invader.

Image by TheVisualMD

Lymph node

Illustration of Lymph node structure

Image by US Government cancer.gov

Spleen

(a) The spleen is attached to the stomach. (b) A micrograph of spleen tissue shows the germinal center. The marginal zone is the region between the red pulp and white pulp, which sequesters particulate antigens from the circulation and presents these antigens to lymphocytes in the white pulp. EM × 660. (Micrograph provided by the Regents of the University of Michigan Medical School © 2012)

Image by OpenStax College

Lymph Node Biopsy

Lymph Node Biopsy : When breast cancer spreads beyond the primary tumor site, it usually spreads first to the sentinel lymph node or nodes, the first lymph nodes to receive drainage from a cancer-containing area of the breast. From there, breast cancer generally spreads to the axillary lymph nodes under the arm. So an important part of the breast cancer staging process is to determine whether the cancer has spread from the primary tumor to the sentinel lymph node, and from there into the axillary lymph nodes.

Image by TheVisualMD

Lymph Node Biopsy

Lymph Node Biopsy : When breast cancer spreads beyond the primary tumor site, it usually spreads first to the sentinel lymph node or nodes, the first lymph nodes to receive drainage from a cancer-containing area of the breast. From there, breast cancer generally spreads to the axillary lymph nodes under the arm. So an important part of the breast cancer staging process is to determine whether the cancer has spread from the primary tumor to the sentinel lymph node, and from there into the axillary lymph nodes.

Image by TheVisualMD

Lymph Node Biopsy

Lymph Node Biopsy : When breast cancer spreads beyond the primary tumor site, it usually spreads first to the sentinel lymph node or nodes, the first lymph nodes to receive drainage from a cancer-containing area of the breast. From there, breast cancer generally spreads to the axillary lymph nodes under the arm. So an important part of the breast cancer staging process is to determine whether the cancer has spread from the primary tumor to the sentinel lymph node, and from there into the axillary lymph nodes.

Image by TheVisualMD

Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy

This is a picture of the first radio-guided sentinel lymph node biopsy using real-time imaging by means of a portable gamma camera (Sentinella) in a patient with colon cancer

Image by Juliommayol

Structure and Histology of a Lymph Node

Lymph nodes are masses of lymphatic tissue located along the larger lymph vessels. The micrograph of the lymph nodes shows a germinal center, which consists of rapidly dividing B cells surrounded by a layer of T cells and other accessory cells. LM × 128. (Micrograph provided by the Regents of the University of Michigan Medical School © 2012)

Image by CNX Openstax

Lymph node

Schematic diagram of a lymph node showing flow of lymph through lymph sinuses

Image by KC Panchal

Lymph node

Diagram of a lymph node.

Image by Cancer Research UK / Wikimedia Commons

Lymph node

Lymph nodes are masses of lymphatic tissue located along the larger lymph vessels. The micrograph of the lymph nodes shows a germinal center, which consists of rapidly dividing B cells surrounded by a layer of T cells and other accessory cells. LM × 128. (Micrograph provided by the Regents of the University of Michigan Medical School © 2012)

Image by OpenStax College

Anatomy of the breast

Inside the breast

Image by NCI NIH

Breast

The lobes and ducts of the breast, and nearby lymph nodes (above) are areas that cancer can attack. The temporary inconvenience of a mammogram can save you from troublesome and costly treatment and surgery by catching breast cancer early, when it is easiest to treat.

Image by NIH

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Breast Cancer Surgery

Breast surgeon Dr. Nora Jaskowiak of The University of Chicago Medical Center explains how far mastectomies and other breast surgeries have come and the impact on the patient's life.

Image by TheVisualMD

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Mastectomy (Simple)

Title Mastectomy (Simple) Description Treatment for breast cancer - removal of breast and a sample of underarm lymph nodes.

Image by National Cancer Institute / Linda Bartlett (Photographer)

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Mastectomy

Total (simple) Mastectomy Description Total (simple) mastectomy; drawing shows removal of the breast and lymph nodes. The dotted line shows where the entire breast is removed. Some lymph nodes under the arm may also be removed.

Image by National Cancer Institute

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Radical Mastectomy

Mastectomy (Radical) Description Halsted radical mastectomy. Removal of the entire breast and chest muscles, as well as lymph nodes in underarm area for the treatment of breast cancer.

Image by National Cancer Institute / Linda Bartlett (Photographer)

Front view of the breast

Diagram showing the front view of the breast.

Image by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Side view of the breast

Diagram showing the side view of the breast.

Image by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

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Breast and adjacent lymph nodes

Illustration of Breast and Adjacent Lymph Nodes Description: The female breast along with lymph nodes and vessels. An inset shows a close-up view of the breast with the following parts labeled: lobules, lobe, ducts, nipple, areola, and fat.

Image by National Cancer Institute, Don Bliss (Illustrator)

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Breast and Adjacent Lymph Nodes

The female breast (nipple, areola, ducts, lobes, lobules, and fatty tissue) and adjacent lymph nodes and lymph vessels (no labels appear in the illustration).

Image by National Cancer Institute (NCI) / Don Bliss (Illustrator)

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Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2): Aggressive Breast Cancers

Most breast cancers begin in the lobules or ducts of the breast, which produce breast milk and carry it to the nipples after pregnancy. Invasive cancers spread outside of the lobules and ducts and penetrate into the surrounding breast tissue. From there, cancer cells may travel to lymph nodes in the armpit area. In stage IV breast cancer, cancer cells have spread into other parts of the body, such as the lungs or bones. HER2-positive breast cancer is aggressive and is likely to spread quickly. It is also resistant to hormone therapy. However, treatment with the drugs trastuzumab and/or lapatinib may help women who test positive for HER2.

Image by TheVisualMD

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Metastatic Breast Cancer in Pleural Fluid

Image by Ed Uthman/Flickr

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Diagram showing the network of lymph nodes in and around the breast.

Diagram showing the network of lymph nodes in and around the breast.

Image by Cancer Research UK / Wikimedia Commons

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Breast lobes and ducts

Diagram showing the lobes and ducts of a breast.

Image by Cancer Research UK / Wikimedia Commons

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Breast

Breast and Adjacent Lymph Nodes Description The female breast along with lymph nodes and vessels. An inset shows a close-up view of the breast with the following parts labeled: lobules, lobe, ducts, nipple, areola, and fat.

Image by National Cancer Institute

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Breast Anatomy

Breast Anatomy; observe lobes, lobules, ducts, areola, nipple, fat, lymph nodes and lymphatic vessels.

Image by National Cancer Institute / Don Bliss (Illustrator)

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External and Internal Anatomy of Breast

The breast is made up of a variety of tissues and structures, including fat, blood vessels, lymph vessels, ligaments, and nerves. The mammary gland is embedded in the breast's fatty tissue and contains 15-20 lobes, each of which is subdivided into smaller lobules. The breast milk that is produced drains from the lobes into the nipple via the lactiferous ducts.

Image by TheVisualMD

Lymph Nodes

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2

3

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Breast Lymph Nodes

Lymph vessels form a network in each breast, draining into lymph nodes in the underarm and along the breast bone. Cancer cells may break away from the main tumor and spread to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system.

Interactive by TheVisualMD

Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy of the Breast

Sentinel lymph node biopsy of the breast. The first of three panels shows a radioactive substance and/or blue dye injected near the tumor; the middle panel shows that the injected material is followed visually and/or with a probe that detects radioactivity to find the sentinel nodes (the first lymph nodes to take up the material); the third panel shows the removal of the tumor and the sentinel nodes to check for cancer cells. Sentinel lymph node biopsy of the breast. A radioactive substance and/or blue dye is injected near the tumor (first panel). The injected material is detected visually and/or with a probe that detects radioactivity (middle panel). The sentinel nodes (the first lymph nodes to take up the material) are removed and checked for cancer cells (last panel).

Image by © 2022 Terese Winslow LLC, U.S. Govt. has certain rights

Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy of the Breast

© 2019 Terese Winslow LLC

3:01

What is a sentinel lymph node biopsy?

University of Minnesota Health/YouTube

6:03

Sentinel Lymph Node & Axillary Lymph Node Procedures for Breast Cancer - Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic/YouTube

3:27

Surgery for Melanoma Patients: Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy and Complete Lymph Node Dissection

American Cancer Society/YouTube

12:10

Sentinel Node Biopsy: Breast Cancer Lymph Node Surgery

Breast Cancer School for Patients/YouTube

2:11

Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping for Gynecologic Cancers

Memorial Sloan Kettering/YouTube

10:32

Introduction to the Lymphatic System

Osmosis/YouTube

22:46

Lymphatic System, Part 2

Tammy Moore/YouTube

10:35

The Lymphatic System, Part 1

Tammy Moore/YouTube

9:43

The lymphatic system's role in immunity | Lymphatic system physiology | NCLEX-RN | Khan Academy

khanacademymedicine/YouTube

lymphatic system

Cancer Research UK / Wikimedia Commons

Lymphatic System

NIH

Lymph Node of Head and Neck

TheVisualMD

Lymphatic, circulatory and nervous systems

TheVisualMD

Babies Sitting Showing Respiratory Lymphatic Circulatory and Skeletal Systems

TheVisualMD

Lymphatic System

OpenStax College

Babies Sitting Showing Respiratory Lymphatic Circulatory and Skeletal Systems

TheVisualMD

In Defense of You: Your Immune System

TheVisualMD

Lymph Node and Lymph interstitial fluid

TheVisualMD

Lymph Node with Vasculature

TheVisualMD

Immune System and Autoimmune Diseases

TheVisualMD

Lymph node

US Government cancer.gov

Spleen

OpenStax College

Lymph Node Biopsy

TheVisualMD

Lymph Node Biopsy

TheVisualMD

Lymph Node Biopsy

TheVisualMD

Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy

Juliommayol

Structure and Histology of a Lymph Node

CNX Openstax

Lymph node

KC Panchal

Lymph node

Cancer Research UK / Wikimedia Commons

Lymph node

OpenStax College

Anatomy of the breast

NCI NIH

Breast

NIH

Sensitive content

This media may include sensitive content

Breast Cancer Surgery

TheVisualMD

Sensitive content

This media may include sensitive content

Mastectomy (Simple)

National Cancer Institute / Linda Bartlett (Photographer)

Sensitive content

This media may include sensitive content

Mastectomy

National Cancer Institute

Sensitive content

This media may include sensitive content

Radical Mastectomy

National Cancer Institute / Linda Bartlett (Photographer)

Front view of the breast

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Side view of the breast

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Sensitive content

This media may include sensitive content

Breast and adjacent lymph nodes

National Cancer Institute, Don Bliss (Illustrator)

Sensitive content

This media may include sensitive content

Breast and Adjacent Lymph Nodes

National Cancer Institute (NCI) / Don Bliss (Illustrator)

Sensitive content

This media may include sensitive content

Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2): Aggressive Breast Cancers

TheVisualMD

Sensitive content

This media may include sensitive content

Metastatic Breast Cancer in Pleural Fluid

Ed Uthman/Flickr

Sensitive content

This media may include sensitive content

Diagram showing the network of lymph nodes in and around the breast.

Cancer Research UK / Wikimedia Commons

Sensitive content

This media may include sensitive content

Breast lobes and ducts

Cancer Research UK / Wikimedia Commons

Sensitive content

This media may include sensitive content

Breast

National Cancer Institute

Sensitive content

This media may include sensitive content

Breast Anatomy

National Cancer Institute / Don Bliss (Illustrator)

Sensitive content

This media may include sensitive content

External and Internal Anatomy of Breast

TheVisualMD

Breast Lymph Nodes

TheVisualMD

Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy of the Breast

© 2022 Terese Winslow LLC, U.S. Govt. has certain rights

Kinds of Biopsy

Ultrasound Guided Breast Biopsy 1

Image by TheVisualMD

Kinds of Breast Biopsies

Core-Needle Biopsy

Your doctor will probably suggest a core-needle biopsy. It is done using local anesthesia (an-ess-THEE-zhuh), which means that the breast will be numbed.

The doctor puts a hollow needle into the breast and takes out a small amount of tissue. The doctor may place a tiny marker inside the breast to mark the spot where the biopsy was done.

There are several ways to do core-needle biopsies. Some of these use different types of imaging equipment.

Ultrasound-guided core-needle biopsy uses ultrasound to guide the needle to the lump. Ultrasound uses sound waves to create a picture of the inside of the breast. It is like the ultrasound used to look at the baby in the womb while a woman is pregnant. You will lie on your back or side for this procedure. The doctor will hold the ultrasound device against your breast to guide the needle.
Stereotactic-guided core-needle biopsy uses x-ray equipment and a computer to guide the needle. Usually for this kind of biopsy, you lie on your stomach on a special table. The table will have an opening for your breast. Your breast may be squeezed and flattened as it is for a mammogram.
MRI-guided core-needle biopsy is similar to stereotactic- guided core-needle biopsy, but magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment is used to guide the needle.
Freehand core-needle biopsy does not use ultrasound, x-ray, or MRI equipment. It is used less often and only for lumps that can be felt through the skin.

Open Surgical Biopsy

An open surgical biopsy is usually done only if you have a high risk of cancer or if the lump is in an area of the breast that cannot be reached with a core-needle biopsy. It is done using general anesthesia. You will be given medicine to make you sleepy through an IV needle placed in a vein in your arm.

The surgeon makes a 1-inch to 2-inch cut in the breast and removes part or all of the lump. Some of the tissue around the lump also may be taken out.

If the lump can be seen on a mammogram or an ultrasound but cannot be felt, a radiologist (a doctor who specializes in medical imaging) usually inserts a thin wire to mark the spot for the surgeon before the biopsy.

Note: It is not unusual to feel nervous about having a biopsy. Ask your doctor or nurse what to expect. It may help to talk with your family and friends. You also might want someone to come to your appointment with you.

Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

Additional Materials (1)

Ultrasound Guided Breast Biopsy 2

TheVisualMD

Accuracy & Side Effects

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Biopsy

Image by National Cancer Institute / Linda Bartlett (Photographer)

Research About Breast Biopsy

Accuracy

Open surgical biopsies and core-needle biopsies both work well for finding breast cancer. But, biopsies are not 100-percent accurate. In a few cases, a biopsy can miss breast cancer. Or, a biopsy that appears to show cancer can be wrong.

Open surgical biopsies and ultrasound-guided or stereotactic-guided core-needle biopsies have about the same accuracy. Freehand coreneedle biopsies appear to be a little less accurate. There is not enough research to know the accuracy of MRI-guided core-needle biopsy.

Accuracy of breast biopsies
Kind of breast biopsy	Out of 100 women who do have breast cancer, this kind of biopsy correctly identifies:	Out of 100 women who do not have breast cancer, this kind of biopsy correctly identifies:
* More research is needed to know this for sure.
Ultrasound-guided core-needle biopsy	97 to 99 of these women, depending on the exact method used	97 to 99 of these women, depending on the exact method used
Stereotactic-guided core-needle biopsy	97 to 99 of these women, depending on the exact method used	92 to 99 of these women, depending on the exact method used
Freehand core-needle biopsy	91 of these women*	98 of these women*
Open surgical biopsy	At least 98 of these women	Not reported in the research

Side effects

Bleeding, bruising, and infection can happen after a breast biopsy. Core-needle biopsies have a lower risk of these side effects than open surgical biopsies.

Side effects are rare with any kind of core-needle biopsy.

Less than 2 out of 100 women who have a core-needle biopsy have a side effect like severe bruising, bleeding, or infection.

Side effects happen more often with open surgical biopsy.

Up to 10 out of 100 women who have open surgical biopsy get severe bruising.
Up to 6 out of 100 women who have open surgical biopsy get an infection.

Some medicines, including aspirin, increase the risk of bleeding and bruising. Your doctor will ask you about the medicines you take. You may need to stop taking some medicines a few days before the biopsy.

Pain

Women who have an open surgical biopsy sometimes need prescription pain medicine after the procedure. Women who have a core-needle biopsy rarely need prescription pain medicine.

Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

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