![]() All primary invasive breast carcinomas should be tested for ER, PR, and HER-2.A Summary of the Key Points of Biomarker Testing In this case, there is much more red signal than the green signal this shows that there are more copies (“amplification”) of the HER-2 gene, and the cancer is considered HER-2 positive or HER-2 amplified. In this example, a red color probe attaches to the HER-2 gene, and a green color probe attaches to a separate part of the same chromosome. In this example, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is performed in the pathology laboratory. Testing for the overexpression of the human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER-2) protein can be done by several methods. The decision of which method to use is influenced by the characteristics of the mass as well as the patient's breast tissue. These methods include skin punch biopsy, fine needle aspiration (FNA), core needle biopsy, and excisional biopsy. What are the steps taken to diagnose breast cancer? Step 1: The Patient Undergoes a Breast Biopsyĭifferent methods may be used to get a sample of breast tissue to submit to the pathologists for evaluation. ![]() Not all masses that are detected by imaging are cancer some breast masses are benign tumors such as fibroadenomas. The pathologist evaluates the tissue to determine if it is benign or malignant (cancerous). When a mass or a radiographic abnormality is detected, a tissue sample must be obtained to determine the correct diagnosis. The type of radiographic imaging used depends upon the patient's age and the characteristics of the breast tissue, such as how fibrous or fatty it is. The majority of breast cancers are first detected on abnormal screening imaging, such as mammography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or ultrasound. ![]() The treatment of breast cancer is a multidisciplinary team effort, and the role of the pathologist is to determine the correct diagnosis. Learn about the different ways that pathologists test for and diagnose breast cancer.
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