What does atypical cells mean on a biopsy?
Atypical: Cells that are not normal but are not cancerous. Atypical cells could become a cancer over time or may increase a person’s risk of cancer.
How common is atypical ductal hyperplasia?
Atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) is a relatively common lesion reported to be found in about 5% to 20% of breast biopsies. Although not carcinoma, it is classified as a high-risk precursor lesion due to its association with and potential to progress to ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) as well as invasive carcinoma.
What is the treatment for precancerous cells in the breast?
Treatment Choices for DCIS They are 1) lumpectomy followed by radiation therapy 2) mastectomy or 3) mastectomy with breast reconstruction surgery. Most women with DCIS can choose lumpectomy. Lumpectomy means that the surgeon removes only the cancer and some normal tissue around it.
What happens if my breast biopsy is abnormal?
Abnormal cells found during a breast biopsy have a high risk of becoming cancerous. The younger a woman is when she is diagnosed with atypical hyperplasia, the more likely she is to develop breast cancer later in life.
Should atypical cells be removed?
Atypical hyperplasia is generally treated with surgery to remove the abnormal cells and to make sure no in situ or invasive cancer also is present in the area. Doctors often recommend more-intensive screening for breast cancer and medications to reduce your breast cancer risk.
How long does it take precancerous cells to become cancerous?
These aren’t cancer cells, but cells that may turn cancerous if left untreated for many years. It takes 10-15 years for pre-cancer to progress to cancer.
Should I take tamoxifen for atypical ductal hyperplasia?
A woman who has been diagnosed with any type of uterine cancer or atypical hyperplasia of the uterus (a kind of pre-cancer) should not take tamoxifen to help lower breast cancer risk. Raloxifene has not been tested in pre-menopausal women, so it should only be used if you have gone through menopause.
What happens if you have precancerous cells in breast?
Atypical hyperplasia isn’t cancer, but it increases the risk of breast cancer. Over the course of your lifetime, if the atypical hyperplasia cells accumulate in the milk ducts or lobules and become more abnormal, this can transition into noninvasive breast cancer (carcinoma in situ) or invasive breast cancer.
Are atypical cells Bad?
Slightly abnormal cells, also called atypical squamous cells, don’t suggest that they’re cancerous or precancerous. We can evaluate the test results to see if other viruses, such as HPV, are present. If no viruses are present, these abnormal cells shouldn’t be a problem.