Your consultant will give you a physical examination, and talk to you about your symptoms and medical history. Following this, if they think there’s a need, they’ll organise for you to have some further tests, such as a mammogram or ultrasound scan, or in some cases a biopsy. 

In most cases, these tests will be carried out on the same day as your consultation, so you won’t have to wait for another appointment, or travel to another centre. 

The gold standard for breast cancer screening, a mammogram is a low-dose X-ray of the breast. We use it to detect early signs of breast cancer, sometimes before a patient has symptoms (a screening mammography). We also use it to investigate specific concerns like lumps or pain in the breast (diagnostic mammography).

Ultrasound scans are used to investigate areas that have been identified on a mammogram, or to assess particularly dense breast tissue in women. You may have one as your first test if you have a lump in your breast, and we may also recommend an ultrasound alongside a biopsy, to help guide your consultant to the site of the biopsy.

In the vast majority of cases, the answer is yes. If the results of your scan suggest that you need one, you’ll be able to have a same-day biopsy (image-guided biopsy or fine needle aspiration), at our clinic.

We understand that this can be a nerve-racking time, and so we do everything we can to help. That means no waiting for another appointment and no travelling to another site. The results are usually available to your consultant in as little as 48 hours.