The short answer
BI-RADS is a standardized 0-to-6 scale radiologists use to summarize a mammogram or other breast imaging. A category 0 means more imaging is needed. Higher numbers point toward a biopsy. Neither means cancer is confirmed.
BI-RADS is a standard scale radiologists use to summarize breast imaging results.
Categories run from 0 to 6, each with a clear recommended next step.
Categories 1 and 2 are negative or benign, and regular screening continues.
A category 0 means more images are needed, not that something is wrong.
On this page
Watch: What does BI-RADS mean?
57 sec · Captioned · The BI-RADS 0-6 scale radiologists use to summarize a mammogram.
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Educational only — this video explains general report language and is not medical advice. Only your care team can say what a result means for you.
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This page is for anyone whose mammogram report lists a BI-RADS category. It explains what each number means and what usually happens next.
The short version
After a mammogram, your report will usually include a BI-RADS category. BI-RADS stands for Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System, and it is a standard way for radiologists to summarize what the images show. Each category carries a level of concern and a usual next step. What is right for you, though, comes from the radiologist and the clinician who have your images and your history in front of them, not from the number alone.
The categories, in plain terms
BI-RADS runs from 0 to 6:
- 0 — Incomplete. More imaging is needed before a final category is assigned. The National Cancer Institute says most people who are called back are not found to have breast cancer.
- 1 and 2 — Negative or benign. Regular screening continues.
- 3 — Probably benign. Probably benign. The National Cancer Institute lists a follow-up mammogram at about six months.
- 4 and 5 — Suspicious, or highly suggestive of cancer. Category 4 may need a biopsy, and category 5 calls for one, according to the National Cancer Institute. Ask your team how they rate your finding.
- 6 — Known cancer. The cancer was confirmed before treatment.
Why the scale helps
The value of BI-RADS is that it turns a nuanced image read into a clear, consistent recommendation. A category 0 is a request for more information, not bad news. Higher numbers guide next steps — repeat imaging or a biopsy — rather than serving as a diagnosis on their own.
What a biopsy adds
Only a biopsy can confirm whether a suspicious finding is cancer. That is why categories 4 and 5 point toward one. Ask your care team what to expect from the biopsy and when results come back.
What to ask
Ask your care team:
- What BI-RADS category is my result?
- What is the recommended next step?
- When should it happen?
Then make sure that step is booked. Categories above 2 come with a follow-up plan, and the plan only helps if you keep it. Your care team's guidance, based on your images and history, is what applies to you.
Sources
Common questions
What is a normal BI-RADS score?
Category 1 is negative and category 2 is benign, meaning a finding is not cancer. Both mean regular screening continues, according to the National Cancer Institute. Your report will list the category and the recommended next step.
What does BI-RADS 0 mean?
Category 0 means the imaging was incomplete and more pictures or a comparison with older images are needed before a final assessment. The National Cancer Institute says most people who are called back are not found to have breast cancer. It is a request for more information.
Does a higher BI-RADS number mean I have cancer?
Not by itself. Higher categories (like 4 or 5) mean the finding is more suspicious and a biopsy is usually recommended to find out. Only a biopsy can confirm whether cancer is present. Ask your care team what your category means for you.
What does BI-RADS 3 mean?
Category 3 means a finding is probably benign, and the National Cancer Institute lists a follow-up mammogram at about six months. It signals low concern with a plan to keep an eye on it.
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Sources last checked: 2026-10-02 what this meansLast updated: 2026-10-02Next planned review: 2027-07-14
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Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes, and this is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Editorial review complete — This page completed Cancer Explained's editorial checks (sources, safety, plain language, duplication). It has not been reviewed by a physician or other healthcare professional.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
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