Understanding your diagnosis
The pathology report is the foundation of the treatment plan.
A pathology report describes tissue removed during a biopsy or operation. It identifies whether cancer is present, what type it is and the features that influence treatment.
Reviewing the report carefully — and, in some situations, having the original material reviewed a second time — helps confirm that the plan is based on accurate and complete information.
What a pathology report may describe
- The type of cancer, such as invasive ductal or invasive lobular carcinoma, or ductal carcinoma in situ
- Tumor grade
- Whether invasive disease is present
- Whether carcinoma in situ is present
- Lymphovascular invasion
- Surgical margins, when an operation has already been performed
- Receptor status, including estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and HER2
- A proliferation marker such as Ki-67, when it is reported
- Lymph-node findings, when nodes have been sampled
Invasive cancer and carcinoma in situ are not the same
Ductal carcinoma in situ describes abnormal cells that have not spread beyond the ducts. Invasive cancer has grown into the surrounding breast tissue.
The distinction matters because it affects how the disease is staged and which treatments are discussed. A report may describe in situ disease, invasive disease or both.
When a second pathology review may be considered
A second review of the original material may be useful when:
- The original report is incomplete
- The diagnosis is unusual
- Biomarker results are missing or uncertain
- The pathology and imaging findings do not agree
- A treatment recommendation depends on a distinction that remains unclear
- The patient has already undergone treatment and the original material must be reassessed
A second review does not automatically mean that the original diagnosis was incorrect. It confirms that decisions are based on complete information.
What material may be requested
- The original pathology report
- The biopsy procedure report
- Estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and HER2 results
- Original glass slides or paraffin blocks, when a review is requested
Questions for your clinical team
- Is the pathology report complete, including receptor status?
- Does the pathology agree with the imaging?
- Would a second pathology review change the plan?
- Is the disease invasive, in situ, or both?
- Which findings most affect the treatment options?