Breast cancer: what are the usual steps from diagnosis to starting treatment?
Modern breast cancer care stresses early diagnosis and multidisciplinary care, with surgery the main curative treatment (Hong Kong Cancer Strategy 2019, July 2019). Hospital Authority cancer case managers have served breast and colorectal cancer patients since 2010-11 and now cover breast, colorectal, gynaecological, blood and other cancers (Government paper to the Legislative Council, July 2025). Doctors should refer women early to a surgeon for features suggesting breast cancer or a BI-RADS 4 to 6 mammogram (Primary Healthcare Commission reference material, February 2025).
Financial support and welfare: what to do first?
A first step is to ask the treating doctor or a nurse for a referral to a medical social worker; patients and their families can also apply for medical social services directly to the medical social services unit stationed at a public hospital or specialist clinic, and health care staff at the hospital or clinic, other government departments or welfare agencies can refer a case as well (Social Welfare Department, August 2023).
Medical social workers provide counselling on the emotional, family and caregiving problems that illness brings, help patients plan their discharge, and provide financial or material assistance, for example medical fee waivers, applications for fund subsidies, and referrals for patients and their families to apply for social security allowances (Social Welfare Department, May 2023). For the help available, see Cancer financial support in Hong Kong.
Compiled by this site: when you see the doctor, you can also ask when and where the next follow-up or test will be, and which doctor or case manager to contact; the Hospital Authority has cancer case managers who coordinate the diagnosis and treatment process for cancer patients (government paper submitted to the Legislative Council, July 2025). If you are thinking of moving hospitals or seeing another doctor, you can get the referral letter, test reports and images together first; for the documents needed, see Moving from public to private, or private to public.
What are the usual steps for breast cancer from diagnosis to starting treatment?
Compiled by this site: based on the sources in the table below, the general steps for breast cancer from first finding a problem to starting treatment are as follows; the order of the steps and the time they take vary from person to person.
The order of tests and treatment for an individual patient is decided by the treating doctor according to the patient's condition.
| Step | What official sources say |
|---|---|
| Finding something abnormal | For women in the Breast Cancer Screening Pilot Programme (Phase 2, for women at higher risk), when a screening result is abnormal the doctor will discuss the result and draw up a follow-up plan, arrange additional mammography or ultrasound if needed, and refer to a specialist (Department of Health Breast Cancer Screening Pilot Programme screening flow page, August 2026); women with clinical features suggestive of breast cancer or a mammogram report in BI-RADS category 4 to 6 should be referred early to a surgeon (Primary Healthcare Commission reference material, February 2025) |
| Tests and diagnosis | Most Hospital Authority cancer services (for example diagnostic radiology, pathology, endoscopy, surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and palliative care) are provided mainly in regional hospitals or cancer centres (Hong Kong Cancer Strategy 2019, July 2019) |
| Multidisciplinary discussion | Modern breast cancer management emphasises early diagnosis, multidisciplinary treatment and personalised treatment according to the patient's needs (Hong Kong Cancer Strategy 2019 Annex One, July 2019) |
| Starting treatment | Surgery is the main curative treatment for breast cancer, with systemic treatment and locoregional radiotherapy as adjuvants before or after surgery (Hong Kong Cancer Strategy 2019 Annex One, July 2019) |
| Coordination | The Hospital Authority has run the cancer case manager programme for breast cancer or colorectal cancer patients since 2010-11, helping to coordinate the diagnosis and treatment process; there are currently more than 40 cancer case managers, covering breast cancer, colorectal cancer, gynaecological cancers, blood cancers, musculoskeletal tumours and urological cancers, among others (Government paper to the Legislative Council, July 2025) |
Why does breast cancer need a multidisciplinary team?
Modern breast cancer management emphasises early diagnosis, multidisciplinary treatment combined with precision medicine, and personalised treatment that cares for the patient's physical and psychological needs (Hong Kong Cancer Strategy 2019 Annex One, July 2019); as the number of cases with breast symptoms and confirmed breast cancer rises, an effective triage mechanism is needed for newly referred cases to streamline the diagnostic workup and so screen out high-risk patients (Hong Kong Cancer Strategy 2019, July 2019).
The Hospital Authority has multidisciplinary team clinics or meetings for some cancer types (Hong Kong Cancer Strategy 2019, July 2019); the Strategy says that Hospital Authority cancer services will take a patient-centred multidisciplinary team approach, with teams of doctors, nurses, medical social workers, clinical psychologists, radiation therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dietitians and other professionals caring for the social and psychological needs of patients and their families.
Which specialties are involved? How do I look up fees and financial support?
For the specialties related to breast cancer, see How to choose a breast cancer doctor.
For breast test fees, see Mammogram fees compared and Ultrasound fees compared; for public, private and financial support compared, see Cancer treatment costs in Hong Kong.
What can I ask the doctor?
Compiled by this site: examples of questions you can ask: What type of cancer has been diagnosed, and what stage is it? Which tests are needed next, and who will arrange them? Will the treatment plan be discussed by several specialties together? Which doctor or case manager will be my contact? What will it cost, and what financial support is available?
For how a family member can help at appointments, see What to prepare for a first doctor's visit; for the documents needed to transfer between hospitals, see Moving from public to private, or private to public; for a second opinion, see How to prepare for a second opinion.
For a fuller checklist of what to ask your doctor and care team after a diagnosis, see what to ask your cancer doctor.
Frequently asked questions
Why does breast cancer need a multidisciplinary team?
Modern breast cancer management emphasises early diagnosis, multidisciplinary treatment and personalised treatment according to the patient's needs; surgery is the main curative treatment, with systemic treatment and radiotherapy as adjuvants before or after surgery (Hong Kong Cancer Strategy 2019 Annex One, July 2019).
What happens after an abnormal screening result?
The doctor will discuss the screening result with the participant in the Breast Cancer Screening Pilot Programme (Phase 2, for women at higher risk) and draw up a follow-up plan, arrange additional mammography and/or ultrasound if needed, and refer to a specialist (Department of Health Breast Cancer Screening Pilot Programme screening flow page, August 2026).