Breast Cancer Pathology Report Guide

In recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness month it only seems plausible to dedicate some time to teaching women how to understand a pathology report. The breast cancer pathology report is a very important document that you will receive from the pathologist following a biopsy or surgery to remove potentially cancerous breast tissue. Understanding the key terms, important facts and how to interpret a breast cancer pathology report is the first step to being proactive during a time when it can be a matter of life and death!

There are typically eight different sections of a breast cancer pathology report. The first four parts are generally about you and do not include any pathology information from the biopsy or surgery itself. These sections include personal information, Specimen information, clinical history, and the clinical diagnosis. Make sure that your breast cancer pathology report specifies the correct name (your name) and the correct date of surgery. The pathologist will also include information about where the specimen was taken from your breast in the report as well as a brief history of your health including how or when the abnormality in your breast was found and how the surgery was performed to get the specimen. Finally, the last pre-surgery bit of information in a breast cancer pathology report is the diagnosis that was anticipated prior to the specimen being studied under the microscope.

The remaining sections of a breast cancer pathology report include important information about the actually tissue that was removed from your breast for testing or further study. The local pathologist will make a report on the actual sample of tissue that was removed from the breast including information such as the size of the sample, the color, shape and even the weight. He will also study the specimen under a microscope to determine what the cancer looks like and will include a brief description of the in the microscopic description section of the breast cancer pathology report.

The pathologist will perform protein tests, genetic marker tests and various other tests to determine how the cancer cells are growing, spreading, and also how rapidly changes are occurring within the cells. This vital information will be included in the section of the breast cancer pathology report that is labeled special tests or markers. Two very common tests that, when performed, will have results in your breast cancer pathology report include the hormone receptor status and the HER2 status. The HER2 status is a test that will tell you the amount of HER2 protein that is located on the breast cancer cells--this is important because a heightened level of HER2 is a sign of a cancer that grows rapidly and can spread more easily.

Finally, the very last pages of your breast cancer pathology report will include the summary and conclusion as found by the pathologist himself. This section will describe and summarize everything important that was found in the tissue samples. Tests, hormone statuses, staging, and all important aspects of the pathology report are included in the final diagnosis or the summary of the report. It is vitally important that you understand how to read this section so that you can make an educated decision for a treatment plan with your doctor.

Sources
www.breastcancer.org
www.herceptin.com