How Breast Cancer is Diagnosed

Being referred to a breast clinic

If your GP suspects breast cancer, they may refer you urgently to a breast clinic for assessment. A referral does not mean you have cancer. The clinic will explain which tests you need and when results should be available; contact your GP or referral team if you have not heard about your appointment.

Triple assessment

The standard diagnostic process in the UK is the triple assessment, which combines three components:

• Clinical examination: A doctor examines both breasts and the lymph nodes in the armpits and collarbone area.
• Imaging: A mammogram (X-ray of the breast), ultrasound, or both. Ultrasound is particularly useful for younger women with denser breast tissue. MRI may be used in specific circumstances.
• Biopsy: If imaging shows anything suspicious, a core needle biopsy or fine-needle aspiration is taken and sent to a laboratory for analysis. This determines whether cancer cells are present and, if so, what type and receptor status they have.

Understanding your biopsy results

Biopsy results typically take around 10–14 days. They will confirm whether cancer is present, the type (e.g. invasive ductal, lobular), the grade (1–3), and receptor status (ER, PR, HER2). This information directly shapes the treatment plan.

Further tests (staging scans)

If cancer is confirmed, further tests may be ordered to check whether it has spread. These include CT scans (chest, abdomen, pelvis), bone scans, MRI scans, and PET-CT scans. Not all patients need all tests — your team will advise based on the size and type of your cancer.