It is important to consult a doctor who will determine whether the lump is cancerous or not. Most of the breast lumps are benign, however it is important not to miss the ones that are cancerous. For this a triple assessment is done which consists of clinical examination of the lump, imaging with ultrasound and mammogram and a needle biopsy of the lump. This will give the diagnosis most of the time. Occasionally, there may be a discordance between the imaging and biopsy findings, or the biopsy may be inconclusive. In such cases, the lump needs to be removed by surgery in order to establish the diagnosis.
Once a diagnosis of cancer is made, the next step is to determine the stage of the disease, that is, to determine whether the cancer has spread to other organs or not. For this, certain blood tests, an ultrasound of the abdomen, a chest X-ray and a bone scan are done. In some patients, a PET-CT is done to determine the stage. It is important to consult a doctor who will determine whether the lump is cancerous or not. Most of the breast lumps are benign, however it is important not to miss the ones that are cancerous. For this a triple assessment is done which consists of clinical examination of the lump, imaging with ultrasound and mammogram and a needle biopsy of the lump. This will give the diagnosis most of the time. Occasionally, there may be a discordance between the imaging and biopsy findings, or the biopsy may be inconclusive. In such cases, the lump needs to be removed by surgery in order to establish the diagnosis.
Once a diagnosis of cancer is made, the next step is to determine the stage of the disease, that is, to determine whether the cancer has spread to other organs or not. For this, certain blood tests, an ultrasound of the abdomen, a chest X-ray and a bone scan are done. In some patients, a PET-CT is done to determine the stage.