Getting Mammogram and Other Test Results

When you have a mammogram or other medical test, the results will be sent to the doctor who ordered it. You can also request for the results to be sent to other doctors on your team. In some cases, the results will be sent directly to you as well (for example, through a patient portal). Your doctor or nurse may review the results with you by phone, email, or patient portal, or at an in-person or virtual appointment.

Before you have a test — or when you’re at the appointment for the test — it’s a good idea to ask when and how you should expect to receive your results. Knowing what to expect can sometimes help relieve anxiety.

There are two main reasons mammograms are done. Screening mammograms are used to look for signs of breast cancer in people who don’t have any symptoms of the disease. Diagnostic mammograms focus on getting more information about a specific area (or areas) of concern, such as a lump.

Screening mammogram results can take anywhere from a few hours to 10 days, depending on the imaging center. In most cases, you won’t receive the results right there and then at the mammogram appointment.

Diagnostic mammogram results are a little different. Because the radiologist and the mammogram technician work together during the appointment to make sure they get the images they need, in most cases you’ll get your results either during the appointment or very soon after.

Sometime after your screening mammogram, the radiologist will analyze your mammogram images, and then the results will be sent to you and your doctor.

By law, breast imaging centers must mail you an easy-to-understand written summary of your screening mammogram results, including your breast density, either within 30 days or as soon as possible if the results suggest cancer is present. You may also get the written summary through a patient portal. If you haven’t received anything about your results within 10 days of the test, call the breast imaging facility to ask about the status. 

If you also want copies of the mammogram images and the more technical written summary that is sent to your doctor, you may need to ask for them. They may not be provided to you unless you ask.

Radiologists use a scoring system called BI-RADS to report what they find on your mammogram, breast ultrasound, or breast MRI. Typically, these scores are in the results that are sent to the doctor who ordered your imaging test.

If the radiologist saw anything that appeared abnormal on the screening mammogram, you should receive a call soon after your mammogram from the staff of the breast imaging facility or from the doctor who ordered the mammogram. Your doctor will probably recommend that you get additional tests, like a diagnostic mammogram or ultrasound; in some cases they’ll also recommend a biopsy.

Keep in mind that getting a call back for additional testing doesn’t necessarily mean you have breast cancer. It means that your doctors want to get better images or check on an area of concern that may turn out to be benign (not cancer). Also keep in mind that a diagnosis of breast cancer cannot be made based on the results of a mammogram alone. Other tests are always needed before a diagnosis can be made.

When you get the results of a diagnostic mammogram, the radiologist will let you know about any next steps that they recommend. This conversation usually happens at the appointment for the diagnostic mammogram.

Depending on what the radiologist saw on the diagnostic mammogram, they may suggest that you schedule a biopsy. Or they may ask you to get another imaging test in six months to see whether the area of concern is changing over time. If the radiologist determines that the area of concern is benign (not cancer), they may tell you that you don’t need any follow-up.

Blood tests are often used during breast cancer treatment to check on a person’s overall health and see how the body is responding to cancer treatment.

The results of blood tests that are fairly routinely used during breast cancer treatment  — such as a CBC (complete blood count) or a blood chemistry test (also known as a metabolic panel) — are usually available on the same day of the test. The CBC in particular is often used in making real-time treatment decisions. For example it is done to check whether a person’s white blood cell count, platelet count, and red blood cell count are high enough for it to be safe to proceed with chemotherapy treatment or with surgery). Results may be available within 30 minutes.

When a blood test is done to check for tumor markers (substances that are made by cancer cells or by normal cells in response to cancer), the results will usually be available within 2 to 7 days. Tumor marker tests are used to help monitor the response to treatment in people with metastatic breast cancer.

When a blood test is done for genetic testing (checking for inherited genetic mutations linked to breast cancer and other cancers), the results are usually available in about two weeks. The results are typically sent to the doctor or genetic counselor who ordered the test first (not directly to you). The doctor or genetic counselor should go over those results with you. 

Doctors order tests on the tissue that is removed from the breast or lymph nodes during a biopsy or surgery. These tests can tell you whether or not cancer is present. If it is, they also provide more information about the cancer, which can then be used to decide on treatment options. For example, they provide information on the type of breast cancer, the cancer’s stage, and the cancer’s HER2 status and hormone receptor status.

The results of these tests come back in what’s known as the pathology report. Often, you and your doctor receive a series of reports as tests are completed.

The pathology report on a breast biopsy will usually be available within 3 days, but can sometimes take a week or longer.

The pathology report on tissue removed during a lumpectomy or mastectomy will usually be available in about a week. However, the results of some of the individual tests that are done on the tissue may not be available for two or more weeks.

It can be stressful to wait for your test results and to try to keep track of them all. Also, if you look at some of your test results before you’ve discussed them with your doctor, you might feel confused or worried about what they mean.

These steps can help you feel more in control of the process of receiving all your test results related to breast cancer screening, diagnosis, or treatment.

When you’re talking with your doctor about scheduling a test or at the appointment for the test, ask when and how you’ll receive your results. Knowing what to expect can prevent you from worrying. Also ask when you’ll have a chance to discuss the results with your doctor and the best ways to talk with your cancer care team if you have any questions about the test.

You’ll probably have some options about the ways you can receive your test results. For example, you may be able to review some results as they come in, before you’ve discussed them with your doctor. These might be available through a patient portal. Or a staff member at your doctor’s office might email the results to you or summarize them over the phone. You may be able to ask them for help interpreting those results before your next scheduled appointment with your doctor. Certain results — such as the results of a genomic test or a genetic test — are usually sent to your doctor first, who will give you a copy at your next scheduled appointment. Some people prefer to receive results only at appointments with their doctor, while others like to look at some of their results as they become available. Let your cancer care team know your preferences.

It’s worth finding out which testing facilities and which of your doctors have patient portals and then setting up accounts. This allows you to save copies of some of your test results. It also gives you the option of seeing those test results as soon as they become available, if you’d like. Usually there are settings that allow you to choose whether or not you’ll receive text or email notifications when new test results are available.

Whenever you sign in at a medical center, lab, or imaging center to get a test done, let the staff know which of your doctors should receive a copy of the results. You may want to bring a list with their names and contact info.

As you receive each new test result, it’s a good idea to get into the habit of saving your own copy. Develop a system that works for you for saving a complete set of all your test results and medical records in one place, whether that’s a digital folder or a file on a shelf. Having your own complete set of records can make managing your care easier, including getting second opinions and applying for a clinical trial.

 

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