Breast cancer occurs when breast cells start growing out of control. These cells form a tumor and can be seen as a lump in the breast. Breast cancer occurs both in men and women, although HER2 breast cancer is common only amongst women. It can start growing in the milk ducts (ductal cancers) or in the glands that produce milk (lobular cancers).
Breast cancer is mostly detected after symptoms start to appear. Sometimes, it may happen that a woman with breast cancer has no symptoms. Different tests and procedures can be done to diagnose breast cancer. Listed below are some of the common tests used to diagnose breast cancer:
Not all tests and procedures are necessary. It depends on how a doctor wants to treat based on a specific situation and symptoms. Breast cancer stages range from 0 to IV. 0 indicates cancer that is non-invasive and Stage IV breast cancer indicates metastatic breast cancer signs, in which case, the cancer cells would have spread to other parts of the body.