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Health Information

Understanding Your Diagnosis

• How Does My Doctor Know I Have Breast Cancer?
  
• Diagnostic Procedures for Breast Cancer
  

  It is important to remember that a lump or other changes in the breast, or an abnormal area on a mammogram, may be caused by cancer or by other, less serious problems.

• Mammogram Procedure
  

  A mammogram is an X-ray examination of the breast amd is used to detect and diagnose breast disease in women.

• Frequently Asked Questions: Mammograms
  

  Timing your mammogram when your breasts are not tender is important. In premenopausal women, this is usually one week after a menstrual period.

• MRIs for Breast Cancer Screening—Who Needs Them?
  
• How Your Doctor Uses Biopsies to Make Your Diagnosis of Breast Cancer
  
• Breast Biopsy
  

  A breast biopsy is a procedure in which samples of breast tissue are removed with a special biopsy needle or during surgery to determine if cancer or other abnormal cells are present.

• Tests That Help Evaluate the Traits of Your Breast Cancer
  
• Breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
  
• Breast Scan
  

  A breast scan is a procedure in which nuclear radiology is used to assess and diagnose various conditions, such as tumors, abscesses, hematomas, organ enlargement, and cysts, as well as organ function and blood flow to the tissue.

• Breast Ultrasound
  

  Ultrasound, or sound wave technology is used to examine breast tissue. It may also be used to assess blood flow to areas inside the breasts.

• Understanding Your Type of Breast Cancer
  
• Stages of Breast Cancer
  

  When breast cancer is diagnosed, your doctor will order tests to find out if the cancer has spread from the breast to other parts of the body. This is called staging and is an important step toward planning a treatment program.

• Understanding Your Grade and Stage of Breast Cancer
  
• Can I Survive Breast Cancer? What Is My Prognosis?
  
• When Breast Cancer Spreads to the Bones
  
• Finding Out You Have Breast Cancer