How to Read a Breast Cancer Pathology Report
If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer it is devastating news, but what can makes it even worse is if you cannot understand your pathology report. There is so much medical jargon that it is easy to become discourage. However, you owe it to your health to understand your report so that it makes sense to you.
- Look over your pathology report by
starting at the top. Make sure your name, address, and other
personal information is yours. While rare, there are times when
reports can be mixed up, so the first thing you must do is make sure
you are actually examining your own report. - Move to the clinical part of the
report, which is the description of your biopsy as well as a
clinical diagnosis based on the findings of the biopsy. This is the
report your doctor receives and will often base the diagnosis upon.
Additionally, in this section should of the report is the pathology
report that shows the proof of the diagnosis of breast cancer. - Check the report for the
characteristics of the actual cancer, which is the microscopic
section. This section will tell you how the pathologist made his or
her findings based on how they examined the cancer sample that was
biopsied from your breast. This may include applying die to help the
pathologist see the various cancer cells closer and help with
staging your cancer. Moreover, you may see that the pathologist
froze the sample along with wax so that it can be sliced easier and
examined under a microscope. The more you understand about your own
pathology report, the better equipped you will be during treatment.