When a woman needs a biopsy, these are some questions she may
want to ask her doctor: - What type of biopsy will I have? Why?
- How long will it take? Will I be awake? Will it hurt? - How
soon will I know the results? - If I do have cancer, who will
talk with me about treatment? When? When Cancer Is Found When
cancer is found, the pathologist can tell what kind of cancer it
is (whether it began in a duct or a lobule) and whether it is
invasive (has invaded nearby tissues in the breast). Special lab
tests of the tissue help the doctor learn more about the cancer.
For example, hormone receptor tests (estrogen and progesterone
receptor tests) can help predict whether the cancer is sensitive
to hormones. Positive test results mean hormones help the cancer
grow, and the cancer is likely to respond to hormonal therapy.
More information about hormonal therapy can be found in the
Treatment section. Other lab tests are sometimes done to help
the doctor predict whether the cancer is likely to grow slowly
or quickly. Th