During your breast cancer surgery, a sample of the breast cancer tissue removed by the surgeon will be sent to a pathology laboratory for testing. The results of these tests provide important information such as the size of the tumour, how fast the cancer cells are growing, whether there is cancer present in the lymph nodes in your armpit and whether there are any hormone receptors on the cancer. This will help your medical team to determine the best treatment options for you.
For information about breast cancer pathology visit the fact sheets page where you can download the pathology fact sheet and the Glossary of pathology terms. You will also find some useful information in Cancer Australia's Guide for women with early breast cancer -- available in My Journey Kit.