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Understanding Your Breast Cancer Pathology Report
Receiving a breast cancer pathology report can feel overwhelming. Terms such as invasive, grade, ER, PR and HER2 may appear on the page, but understanding how they fit together is not always easy.
A pathology report contains important information about the breast tissue examined after a biopsy or surgery. It helps your medical team understand the type and characteristics of the cancer and plays an important role in planning treatment.
Here are some of the terms you may come across.
What Type of Breast Cancer Is It?
The report identifies the type of cancer found in the breast tissue.
You may see terms such as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), invasive ductal carcinoma or invasive lobular carcinoma. Whether the cancer is described as in situ or invasive provides important information about how the abnormal cells are behaving.
What Type of Breast Cancer Do You Have?
The report identifies the type of cancer found in the breast tissue.
You may come across these terms:
- Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS): Abnormal cells are found inside the milk ducts of the breast but have not spread into the surrounding breast tissue. It is considered a non-invasive, or stage 0, breast cancer.
- Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Cancer that begins in the milk ducts and has grown into the surrounding breast tissue. It is the most common type of invasive breast cancer.
- Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Cancer that begins in the milk-producing glands, called lobules, and has spread into the surrounding breast tissue.
Simply put, “in situ” means the abnormal cells are still contained within the area where they started, while “invasive” means they have grown into nearby breast tissue. Invasive does not automatically mean the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
What Does Tumour Grade Mean?
Grade describes how different the cancer cells look from normal breast cells under a microscope.
It gives doctors information about the biological behaviour of the tumour. Grade is different from cancer stage, and the two should not be confused.
What Are ER, PR and HER2?
Your pathology report may include results for:
ER: Estrogen receptor
PR: Progesterone receptor
HER2: Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2
These biomarkers help doctors understand characteristics of the cancer and determine which treatments may be relevant.
Your report may also include other findings depending on the tissue sample and tests performed.
Why Should the Report Be Discussed With a Breast Specialist?
Reading individual terms online can give you definitions, but it may not tell you what those findings mean for your diagnosis.
A breast specialist doctor considers the pathology alongside your imaging, clinical findings, medical history and other investigations before discussing the next steps.
This is particularly important when you have questions about the diagnosis or the treatment plan being recommended.
When Can a Second Opinion Help?
A breast cancer second opinion can be valuable when you want greater clarity about your diagnosis, have questions about the proposed treatment or simply want another breast expert to review your case before making an important decision.
At Prajnam Breast Centre, the Second Opinion service brings together your pathology reports, breast imaging and available medical records for breast expert review. The aim is to help you understand the diagnosis and the treatment options being considered, so you can move forward with greater clarity.
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Your pathology report contains important information, but you do not have to interpret it alone. Understanding what the report means for you is just as important as understanding the words written on it.