Whether you’ve never had breast cancer and
want to increase your odds of early detection, you’ve recently been diagnosed,
or you are in the midst of treatment and follow-up, you know that breast cancer
and medical tests go hand in hand.
Most breast-cancer-related tests fall into one
or more of the following categories:
Screening tests: Screening tests (such as yearly mammograms) are given routinely to people who appear to be healthy and are not suspected of having breast cancer. Their purpose is to find breast cancer early, before any symptoms can develop and the cancer usually isk easier to treat.
Diagnostic tests: Diagnostic tests (such as biopsy) are given to people who are suspected of having breast cancer, either because of symptoms they may be experiencing or a screening test result. These tests are used to determine whether or not breast cancer is present and, if so, whether or not it has traveled outside the breast. Diagnostic tests also are usedk to gather more information about the cancer to guide decisions about treatment.
Monitoring tests: Once breast cancer is diagnosed, many tests are used during and after treatment to monitor how well therapies are working. Monitoring tests also may be used to check for any signs of recurrence.
On the following pages, you can read more about the many tests you may have at different points in the process of screening, diagnosis, and treatment. The tests are covered in alphabetical order.
Biopsy
Blood Cell Counts
Blood Chemistries
Blood Marker Tests
Bone Scans
Breast Cancer Index Test
Breast MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
Breast Physical Exam
Breast Self-Exam (BSE)
CT (CAT) Scans (Computerized Tomography)
Chest X-Rays
Digital Tomosynthesis
Ductal Lavage
EndoPredict Test
FISH Test (Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization)
IHC Tests (ImmunoHistoChemistry)
Inform HER2 Dual ISH Test
MammaPrint Test
Mammograms
Mammostrat Test
MarginProbe
Molecular Breast Imaging
Oncotype DX Test
PET Scans
Prosignia Breast Cancer Prognostic Gene Signature Assay
SPoT-Light HER2 CISH Test
Thermography
Tumor Genomic Tests
Ultrasound
Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Protein Inhibitor Test
If you're waiting for test results, or have
questions about what your results may show, connect with others for support and
answers in the Breastcancer.org Discussion Board forum Waitingfor Test Results.
If you've been diagnosed with breast cancer
and are waiting for test results about your diagnosis, connect with others in
the Breastcancer.org Discussion Board forum Diagnosedand Waiting for Test Results
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