Planning your visit

Once the referral from your GP is received, we will see you as quickly as possible for assessment (usually within two weeks). The breast clinic is held in the breast imaging unit (BIU) or in the main outpatient department on E level, at the Princess Anne Hospital.

Please leave enough time for parking, as the car parks can be very busy.
Please bear in mind your appointment may take a few hours, so please give yourself enough time.
Although we try our best to keep to time, busy clinics can sometimes lead to delays.
There are café and toilet facilities available next to the waiting room.
If you have any concerns whilst waiting for your turn, please do not hesitate to ask our friendly staff.
Please note you may be seen before or after your appointment time.

What to expect at your first visit to our clinic

A member of our breast surgery team will see you at the clinic. This may include a consultant, senior surgeon, a training grade surgeon or doctor, or advanced nurse practitioner. They will talk to you about your symptoms and perform a breast examination which will include examining the breasts, under the arms and the collar bone area. A chaperone will be available.

We will often arrange for a mammogram or an ultrasound scan either on the same day as the breast clinic visit or at a date before clinic. These are performed in the breast imaging unit. Some people may require a needle biopsy test which is performed at the same time to get more information.

You may receive a diagnosis and management plan then. However, sometimes further information is required, and a second appointment may be arranged for you to come back for additional test results (for example, a needle biopsy result).

We understand that a visit to the breast clinic can be a very worrying time for you, but it’s important to remember that the majority (more than 90%) of patients we see are given a benign (non-cancerous) diagnosis. However, if you are diagnosed with a breast cancer, or a suspicious finding, there is a team of specialists here to support you (see our breast cancer pages).

Tests and investigations

Clinical breast examination

This is a physical examination of the breasts, the neck and under the arms by a trained health care professional.

Mammogram

A mammogram is an x-ray of the breast. A radiographer positions one breast at a time between two small flat plates on the x-ray machine. The plates then press the breast firmly between them for a few moments, to take the x-ray. The compression is required to give a clear picture. Two pictures of each breast are taken.

Ultrasound

Ultrasound is performed by a consultant radiologist, a consultant radiographer or a specialist doctor. It is safe and painless and produces pictures of the inside of the body using sound waves. Ultrasound imaging involves the use of a small transducer (probe) and ultrasound gel placed directly on the skin. High frequency sound waves are transmitted from the probe through the gel into the body. The probe collects the sounds that bounce back and a computer uses the sound waves to create an image.

Core biopsy

This is a procedure to remove a small amounts of tissue from an area in the breast we need to obtain more information about. It is usually performed using guidance from the ultrasound or mammogram machine to ensure accurate sampling. It involves cleaning the skin with antiseptic then injecting some local anaesthetic under the skin. A small incision is made in the skin and small amounts of tissue are removed and are sent to the histopathology department for analysis. A tiny titanium marker clip is usually positioned into the biopsy site. This makes it easier to find the area again in the future. Further mammogram pictures are taken to check the position of the marker clip.

Vacuum assisted biopsy (VAB)

Ultrasound or mammograms will again provide guidance for this procedure. After giving you a local anaesthetic, a small cut in your breast tissue is made. A small vacuum assisted probe is used to take a biopsy from the targeted area. This type of biopsy removes a slightly larger sample of breast tissue than a core biopsy. Sometimes the whole abnormal area is removed and a small titanium marker is placed in the breast tissue to mark the biopsy site.

Vacuum assisted excision biopsy (VAE)

This is a procedure where mammograms are used to locate an area of interest in the breast that requires removal. A breast biopsy will have shown abnormal cells that can be removed without a formal operation, to further sample the abnormal area. Previously these lesions required a surgical excision under a general anaesthetic but technology now allows for some lesions to be removed under local anaesthetic. This procedure is similar to that of a vacuum assisted biopsy.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

A breast MRI scan is an imaging test that uses powerful magnets and radio waves to create pictures of the breast and surrounding tissue. It does not use radiation (x-rays). A breast MRI may be done in combination with mammography or ultrasound. It is not a replacement for mammography. An MRI may require an injection of contrast material.

Your first breast clinic visit