Diagnosis & staging

Get in the habit of regularly completing a self breast exam. A proper exam includes both a physical and visual assessment. This will help you stay on top of your breast health so you can notify your family physician If you notice any changes. It is never too early to begin monitoring your breast health.

Having dense breast tissue can decrease the effectiveness of screening tests which can increase your risk for breast cancer.

Did you know?

• The denser the breast tissue, the higher your risk is for developing breast cancer
• Having dense breasts can be a more significant risk factor than having a family history of breast cancer
• In extremely dense breasts, mammograms can miss up to 50% of breast cancers

The following tests may be used to diagnose breast cancer

• Mammography
• Ultrasound
• MRI
• Biopsies
• Hormone Testing/ HER2 Testing

We recommend visiting the BC Cancer Agency website to learn more about each of these tests

Once you suspect you may have cancer, it is difficult to stop yourself from doing your own research. Be careful to limit the websites you rely on to gather information. Our oncologists highly recommended the information published by the BC Cancer Agency and the Canadian Cancer Society. 

Please note that we cannot guarantee the function, accuracy or how current the information is within each of the websites we reference. Always rely on the information provided by your medical team.

• Write your questions down ahead of time. Questions should be readily welcomed by your medical team. Don't rely on your memory because you will feel very distracted during the initial stages of the diagnosis.
• Remember to bring something to write or record the information gathered at each appointment. Again, don't place unnecessary pressure on your memory.
• Bring someone with you to your appointment, or have them conference in over the phone. After your diagnosis there will be many appointments and the volume of information can feel very overwhelming.
• Designate one folder, journal, memory box to keep the information you are gathering about your diagnosis so it is easy to find or reference. This will become more important once you are transferred to your oncologist. 
• Prioritize understanding your short-term and long-term employment health benefits so you can make an informed decision about when to initiate your medical leave. Talk to your medical team about who is best to complete the on-going paperwork required by your employer and insurer.
• Once your initial pathology confirms cancer, you may be referred to your local cancer centre and they may send out information that you may not yet feel ready to review.