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Understanding your Breast Cancer Pathology Report 1,2
To classify exactly what kind of breast cancer you have, your doctor may take a biopsy of your tumor, which is a sample taken from the tumor either during surgery or using a needle. That sample tissue is then studied in a lab to determine exactly what kind of tumor it is. Tests are done to look for different substances in the tumor, and each test result is assigned a status, such as positive or negative. The results are called your pathology report.
Knowing the details about the tumor helps the doctor understand how quickly the cancer might grow and what treatments may be best.
For breast cancer, a doctor wants to know a cancer's hormone-receptor status and HER2 status. Hormones such as estrogen and progesterone play a role in the growth of many breast cancers, and it is important to know whether a tumor is positive or negative for either of these hormone-receptors. An estrogen-receptor-positive tumor is called "ER+", and a progesterone-receptor-positive tumor is called "PR+". Tumors that are positive for either of these hormone-receptors may benefit from hormonal therapy.
Similarly, HER2 status can tell you if the breast cancer is aggressive, as well as what treatments may provide the most benefit. HER2 status and hormone-receptor status are not the same thing, and being positive for one does not mean the cancer is positive for the other. Again, knowing what kind of cancer you have is critical to deciding what the best course of treatment may be.
- References:
- 1. American Cancer Society (ACS)/National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN). Breast Cancer: Treatment Guidelines for Patients. Version VIII/September 2006. ACS/NCCN; 2006.
- 2. American Cancer Society Website. How is breast cancer diagnosed? Available at: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_3X_How_is_breast_cancer_diagnosed_5.asp Accessed September 2, 2008.
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- What do Adjuvant and Metastatic mean? Learn more.
Adjuvant Care Is defined as additional treatment given after the main treatment plan to decrease the chance of recurrence. Adjuvant therapy for breast cancer can include chemotherapy, hormone therapy, radiation therapy, or biological therapy
Metastatic Breast Cancer Breast cancer that has spread to other sites in the body; also referred to as invasive or infiltrating
