Referral to a breast clinic

Showing symptoms of breast cancer

Your GP should arrange for you to go to a breast clinic to have tests if you have symptoms that could be due to breast cancer. Depending on your symptoms and other factors, this might be an urgent referral.

Or you might have a referral to the breast clinic following a positive result from your breast screening mammogram.

You will see a breast specialist at the breast clinic as soon as possible. Ask your GP when this is likely to be.

Go to information about symptoms of breast cancer

Seeing your GP

It can be hard for GPs to decide who may have cancer and who might have a more minor condition. For some symptoms, your doctor may ask you to wait to see if the symptoms get better or respond to treatment, such as antibiotics.

Your GP might arrange for you to have an appointment at a breast clinic. This is usually a one stop clinic where you have several tests during one visit. It is also called a triple assessment.

The tests you have can diagnose breast cancer and other breast conditions. These tests you might have include:

• breast examination

• mammogram

• breast ultrasound scan

• a breast biopsy

Find out more about each of these tests

On average, GPs see about 1 to 2 women a year who have breast cancer. But they will see a lot more women who have non cancerous (benign) breast conditions such as:

• cysts – sacs of fluid in the breast tissue (most common in women between 35 to 50 years)

• fibroadenomas – collections of fibrous glandular tissue (most common in women aged between 15 to 35)

• diffuse nodularity (lumpy breasts) – this is more common in women younger than 50

• breast pain – this is not a usual symptom of breast cancer

The risk of getting breast cancer gets higher as you get older. More breast cancers are diagnosed in women over 50 and it is less common in women under 40.

Breast screening

Around 4 out of 100 women (around 4%) are called back for more tests after breast screening. This might be a referral to a breast clinic. If this happens, you might feel very worried. But many of these women won’t have cancer.

Find out more about breast screening

UK referral guidelines

There are guidelines for GPs to help them decide who needs a referral. These vary slightly between the different UK nations. Your GP will use these guidelines as well as their own experience and judgement.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland

Your GP should offer you an appointment at a breast clinic urgently if you:

• are 50 or over and have a change to a nipple, such as discharge or a nipple appearing to be pulled inwards

• are 30 or over and have a lump in your breast or under your armpit, with or without pain, that isn't caused by anything else

• have changes to the skin of your breast, such as puckering or dimpling

• have other changes that are possible signs of breast cancer

If you are under 30 and have a lump in your breast that isn't caused by anything else, your GP might offer you an appointment to a breast clinic. But this may not be an urgent referral. Your GP may get advice from the breast clinic about whether to refer you.

In Scotland

Your doctor should offer you an urgent referral to a breast clinic if you:

• are over 30 and have a new breast lump

• are under 30 and have a new breast lump with other symptoms that could be breast cancer – such as a lump in your armpit, nipple changes or breast skin changes

• are under 30, have a new breast lump and you have a ​family history​ of breast cancer

• a new armpit lump that has no obvious cause – the lump is at least 2cm long or doesn’t go away after 6 weeks or is getting bigger

• have clear yellow nipple discharge which may or may not be bloodstained

• have one nipple that is turning inwards (retraction) – this is not normal for you, and it can’t be turned outwards again

• have an eczema rash on one nipple that has not gone away with 2 weeks of using a moderate ​steroid​ cream

• have breast skin changes – such as pulling and dimpling of the skin or skin looking like orange peel

• a new open sore (ulcer) on the breast which has no obvious cause

• ​inflammation​ of the breast that doesn't respond to ​antibiotics​ or comes back after taking antibiotics

Your GP might offer you an appointment to a breast clinic as a routine appointment if you have any of the following:

• a breast lump and you are under 30 without any other symptoms that could be breast cancer

• uneven or thickened areas in your breast that haven't gone away after 3 weeks

Other symptoms

Your GP will consider any other symptoms that you are having, so do mention these. They might also take into account whether you have any risk factors that affect your chances of developing breast cancer.

Go to the risks and causes of breast cancer

If you are worried

Sometimes you might feel that your GP is not concerned enough about your symptoms. If you think they should be more concerned, print or show them this page and the symptoms page. Ask your GP to explain why they don’t think you need a referral.

Contact your GP again if your symptoms don't get better or you notice any new or unusual symptoms.

What should I do if I don’t get my appointment?

If your GP has referred you, ask them when you should get your appointment. Contact them again if you don’t get one. Or some hospitals have a referral service you could try contacting if you know which hospital you are going to. Explain that you are waiting for an urgent suspected cancer referral.

Go to more information about an urgent referral, what to expect and questions to ask

Waiting times

Your hospital is working towards waiting time targets. For example, a target to find out whether you have cancer or not. And there are targets to start treatment if you are diagnosed with cancer. These are slightly different depending on where you live in the UK.

Find out about other cancer waiting times