Education For Healthy Life

Doctors use many tests to diagnose cancer and determine if it has metastasized. Some tests may also find out which treatments may be the most effective. For most types of cancer, a biopsy (the removal of a small amount of tissue for examination under a microscope) is the only way to make a definitive diagnosis of cancer. If a biopsy is not possible, the doctor may suggest other tests that will help make a diagnosis. Imaging tests may be used to find out whether the cancer has metastasized. Your doctor may consider these factors when choosing a diagnostic test:

• Age and medical condition
• The type of cancer suspected
• Severity of symptoms
• Previous test results

The diagnosis of breast cancer usually begins when a woman or her doctor discovers a mass or abnormal calcification (tiny spot of calcium usually found on an x-ray) on a screening mammogram, or an abnormality in the woman’s breast by clinical examination or self-examination. Several tests may be done to confirm a diagnosis of breast cancer. Not every person will have all of these tests.