BI-RADS: Meaning in a Radiology Report

Also written as: Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System, BIRADS, BI-RADS category, BI-RADS assessment

BI-RADS is the 0 to 6 scale used to sum up a mammogram, breast ultrasound or breast MRI. Each category comes with a recommended next step.

What it means

BI-RADS stands for Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System. Every mammogram, breast ultrasound or breast MRI report ends with one category from 0 to 6. The category reflects how likely cancer is, based on how the findings look, and each comes with a recommended next step. The same categories are used widely, so reports are clear and easy to compare.

When it matters

A 0 means more images or older mammograms are needed. 1 is negative and 2 is a benign finding. 3 is probably benign (2 percent or less chance of cancer), usually rechecked in 6 months. 4 is suspicious and 5 highly suggestive of cancer, so a biopsy is advised; 4A, 4B and 4C run from low to high suspicion. 6 means biopsy-proven cancer. Most people called back after a 0, and many with a 4, do not have cancer.

Questions to ask your doctor

What category did I get, and what is the recommended next step?
If it is category 3, when should the follow-up scan be done?
If a biopsy is advised, what kind of biopsy is it and how soon?

General information, not medical advice. What a finding means for you depends on your symptoms, your history and the images themselves, so talk your results through with a doctor.