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Understanding a Breast Cancer Diagnosis
A lot of different terms are used to describe breast cancer and other breast conditions. If you have breast cancer, doctors use information from your breast biopsy to describe the cancer’s type and stage, how fast it’s growing, and if it has spread.
Breast cancer biopsy results
Doctors use information from your breast biopsy to learn about the exact kind of breast cancer you have.
Understanding your breast pathology report
Breast biopsy samples are studied under a microscope by a pathologist, a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and classifying diseases. A pathology report gives a diagnosis for each sample taken and will be used to help manage your care.
This information is meant to help you understand medical language you might find in the pathology report from a breast biopsy, such as a needle biopsy or an excisional (surgical) biopsy.
Breast cancer stages and prognosis (outlook)
After an breast cancer cancer diagnosis, many people want to understand what to expect. Doctors use information about a tumor’s stage (extent) to decide what treatment is best for each specific case. Imaging tests can help determine the stage.
Survival rates are a way to measure how many people survive a certain type of cancer over time. Some people find this information helpful, while others prefer to focus more on treatment plans and next steps.
Questions to ask if you have breast cancer
Understanding the diagnosis
- Exactly what type of breast cancer do I have?
- How big is the cancer? Where exactly is it?
- Has the cancer spread to my lymph nodes or other organs?
- What is the stage of my cancer? What does it mean?
- What is the hormone receptor status of my cancer? What does this mean?
- What is the HER2 status of my cancer? What does this mean?
- What is the grade of my cancer? What does this mean?
- How do I get a copy of my pathology report?
Planning next steps
- Will I need any other tests before we can decide on treatment?
- What are my chances of survival?
- Do I need to see any other doctors or health professionals?
- Who else will be a part of the treatment team?
- Should I think about genetic testing? What are my testing options? Should I take a home-based genetic test? What would be the reasons for and against testing?
- If I’m worried about the costs and insurance coverage for my diagnosis and treatment, who can help me?
- What if the cancer comes back? What will my options be then?
Last Revised: July 23, 2026
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