The earlier breast cancer is found, the sooner treatment can begin and the better the chance of curing the cancer. For this reason, screening for breast cancer using any, or a combination, of the following is highly recommended: Breast Self Exams (BSE), Clinical Breast Exams (CBE), SureTouch™ aided Clinical Breast Exams, Mammograms (Breast X-Ray) and Ultrasound.

Screening mammograms are x-rays. Each breast is compressed between two plates while the x-rays are taken. If something appears abnormal, or additional views are needed, magnified views or specially angled films are taken during the mammogram. Mammograms often detect tumors before they can be felt and can also identify tiny specks of calcium that could be an early sign of cancer.

Once a patient has symptoms suggestive of a breast cancer, or has returned abnormal results during their screening, they will usually be referred for a diagnostic mammogram. Sometimes, particularly if your doctor/s think you may have a cyst, or if you are young and have dense breasts, you may be referred for an ultrasound. An ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to outline the suspicious areas of the breast. It is painless and can often distinguish between benign and malignant lesions.

Depending on the results of the mammograms and/or ultrasounds, your doctor(s) may suggest you have a biopsy. This is the only way to determine definitively if you have cancer, since the procedure allows your doctor to extract actual cells and examine them under a microscope. There are different types of biopsies, depending on how much tissue needs to be removed. Some biopsies use a very fine needle, while others use thicker needles or even require a small surgical procedure to remove more tissue. Your doctor(s) will decide which type of biopsy is appropriate based on their assessment of your particular breast mass.

Once the tissue is removed, a specialist called a pathologist will review the specimen. The pathologist can determine whether the cells are benign or malignant. If cancer is found, the pathologist will characterize it by what type of tissue it arose from, how abnormal it looks (known as the grade), and whether or not it is invading surrounding tissues

Stage I: Early stage breast cancer where the tumor is less that 2 cm across and has not spread beyond the breast

Stage II: Early stage breast cancer where the tumor is either less than 2 cm across and has spread to the lymph nodes under the arm; or the tumor is between 2 and 5 cm (with or without spreading to the lymph nodes under the arm); or the tumor is greater than 5 cm and has not spread outside the breast

Stage III: Locally advanced breast cancer where the tumor is greater than 5 cm across and has spread to the lymph nodes under the arm; or the cancer is extensive in the underarm lymph nodes; or the cancer has spread to lymph nodes near the breastbone or to other tissues near the breast

Stage IV: Known as ”advanced” or “metastatic” breast cancer where the cancer has spread outside the breast to other organs in the body