Breast cancer
Definition/Description
Create and submit referral request to the RSS
Red Flag Symptoms
Female
- Any age nipple rash
- Any age - skin changes that suggest breast cancer
- Any age nipple retraction/distortion
- Any age blood stained nipple discharge
- Age ≥ 30 and discrete lump
- Age ≥ 30 with unexplained lump in axilla (any age if previous breast cancer)
- Age > 50 unilateral nipple discharge
Male
- Age ≥ 50 and unilateral mass:
Guidelines on Management
If your patient does not meet any of the NICE defined USC criteria please liaise (by phone or Advice and Guidance) with a specialist or send them in as an urgent referral. Please do not annotate USC forms with your own criteria.
Patient awareness
- Confirm that your patient understands that they have been referred onto a “suspected cancer pathway”
- Confirm that your patient has received the information leaflet
- Confirm that your patient is available to attend an appointment within 2 weeks of this referral
Referral Criteria/Information
Additional Resources & Reference
GIRFT Best Practice Timed Diagnostic Cancer Pathways
Faster diagnostic pathways
Implementing a timed breast cancer diagnostic pathway - audit tool
Additional resources
Associated Policies
There are no associated policies.
Specialties
Places covered by
- vale-of-york
Hospital Trusts
- york-and-scarborough-teaching-hospitals
Date created: 28/08/2025, 12:50
Last modified: 09/09/2025, 14:44
Date of review: