breast cancer diagnosis

Diagnosing breast cancer is a vital step towards its treatment. Yes clinically surgeon can diagnose breast cancer, but with out diagnostic investigations surgeon may not be sure about its involvement, extension and severity.There are many advanced investigations available for diagnosing breast cancer.

The diagnosis depands on:
A. Imaging techniques.
B. Lab findings.
C. Pathology study.

Imaging techniques: Even though more than 60% of cases presented to hospital are self detected ( by breast self examination), Mammography is the most reliable means of detecting breast cancer before a mass can be palpated. Patients with a dominant or suspicious mass must undergo biopsy despite mammographic findings. MRI & ultrasonography may be a useful screening modalities in women who are at high risk. Advanced tool like PET (positron emmission tomography ) also used for diagnostic purpose.
imaging procedures like Chest radiography, CT scan are used to detect the distant metastasis. When bony metastases are suspected 99mTc labelled phosphates ar used for bone scanning.

Lab findings- Increased level of calcium is an occasional important finding in advanced cancer of breast. carcino-embryonic antigen ( CEA ) & CA15-3 or CA27-29 may be used as marker for recurrent Breast cancer. Hormonal studies also been carried out to make the diagnosis easier.

Pathology study-The diagnosis of breast cancer depends ultimately on examination of tissue or cells removed by biopsy. treatment should never be undertaken without an histological or cytological studies. The simplest biopsy method is needle biopsy, either by aspiration of tumor cell by FNA(fine needle aspiration) or by obtaining a small core of tissue with hollow needle ( core biopsy). Open biopsy under local anasthesia as a seperate procedure prior to definitive treatment is most reliable means of diagnosis.