Finding out that you have breast cancer can be a very complicated, scary, and heartbreaking experience in your life. It is normal for a thousand questions to arise in your mind at a time like this. One of the most important documents you will receive during this journey is your pathology report , or as we all know it, the Pathology Report . You may receive this report before you even speak to your doctor. Seeing the medical jargon in it can be even more confusing. But don't worry, let's understand the things in this report one by one, in a simple way.
What is actually in this pathology report?
Simply put, this is a report of the findings of a pathologist who examined a piece of tissue taken from your body (biopsy) or removed during surgery. It's like a detective examining evidence and giving a report. It usually takes about a week or two to get this report after a biopsy.
Although the format of this report varies slightly from hospital to hospital, it generally includes these elements.
| Part of the report | Simply meaning |
|---|---|
| Information about you | This includes basic details like your name, age, medical history, and the date the tissue was taken. |
| Diagnosis | It is clearly stated here whether the tissue sample examined is cancerous (benign or malignant). Not all lumps that develop in the breast are cancerous. If it is cancerous, its nature is also described here. |
| Tumor Description | This is divided into two parts. "Gross description" is how the tumor looks to the naked eye (size, shape). "Microscopic description" is how the cells look under a microscope. |
| Hormone Receptor Status | They look to see if the cancer cells have receptors that can bind to the hormones estrogen or progesterone. This is very important in deciding on treatment. |
| Tumor Grade | The tumor is given a grade from 1 to 3. Grade 1 is a slow-growing cancer with a low risk of spreading. Grade 3 is the fastest-growing type. |
A little more about the diagnosis
In the diagnosis section, your condition may be listed as one of three:
- Benign (non-cancerous): This is the good news. It means the lump is not cancerous. Most lumps in the breast are of this type.
- Non-invasive breast cancer: This means that the cancer cells remain where they started (for example, in a milk duct) and have not spread to surrounding tissue. Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) is one such type.
- Invasive breast cancer : This means that cancer cells have spread from the place where they started (the milk glands or ducts) to the surrounding breast tissue. They may also have spread to lymph nodes in the leg or other parts of the body. There are two types of this type of cancer that may be reported.
- Invasive Ductal Cancer: Cancer that starts in the milk ducts and spreads.
- Invasive Lobular Cancer: Cancer that starts in the milk-producing glands (lobules) and spreads.
Why is the stage of the cancer not in this report?
You may be wondering why this report doesn't mention the stage of cancer (Stage 1, 2, 3, or 4). There's a reason for that.
The pathology report is only one important step in the process of determining the stage of cancer. It does not provide the complete picture.
To accurately determine the stage of the cancer, doctors will combine several other factors with the information from this pathology report. These are:
- Has the cancer spread to nearby lymph nodes?
- Has the cancer spread to distant organs in the body (e.g., liver, lungs, bones)?
To find out these things, you may need to have other tests (e.g. CT scan, MRI scan , bone scan). Therefore, the pathology report is not the whole story, it is only an important part of the story.
Things to ask your doctor
When talking to your doctor about your pathology report, don't be afraid to ask any questions you have. Ask him or her to clarify anything you don't understand.
Many doctors say that patients circle and color in the parts of their report that they don't understand, because they want to know everything exactly. This is a very good habit. It shows how much you care about your health.
Another important tip is to bring a family member or a trusted friend with you to this discussion. Because it can be difficult to remember everything the doctor says when you're stressed. Having a second person will be a great help and will also help you take notes.
What happens after the pathology report?
After you are diagnosed with breast cancer, your doctor will refer you to a breast specialist or oncologist.
That specialist is the one who will put your entire situation together. That means, taking everything from your physical exam, mammogram and ultrasound reports, MRI reports, and this pathology report, they will create a treatment plan that is specific to you .
"Treatment plans are much more individualized than they used to be," experts say. That means the same treatment your friend received may not work for you. You will receive the best treatment for your cancer.
If you have further surgeries or biopsies in the future, you will receive a new pathology report for each one. Each of these will be important milestones in your treatment journey.
Take-Home Message
- The Pathology Report is a very important document in your treatment journey. But don't worry if you can't read it and understand it on your own.
- This report tells you the type and nature of the cancer, not the stage of the cancer. The stage is determined after several more tests.
- Discuss this report with your doctor. Don't hesitate to ask any questions you have, no matter how small.
- It is a great strength and help to have a family member or trusted friend with you when going to an important discussion like this.
- This report is not something to be afraid of. It is the primary tool used to create the treatment plan that is best for you. This is the first step on the journey to recovery.
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