If you haven’t seen this recent article from the New York Times it’s worth a read.
I have posted before about the importance of getting your breast biopsy diagnosed from a pathologist who specializes in breast pathology.  This article points out how subtle the distinction can be between atypical ductal hyperplasia and low grade ductal carcinoma [...]

Question: I recently had a breast biopsy with invasive ductal carcinoma, grade 3 and ductal carcinoma in situ. My report said “the carcinoma is estrogen and progesterone receptor negative (<5%) and negative for her2/neu over-expression (1+).” I read online that sometimes even less than 5% could still be positive for the estrogen receptor. [...]

I wrote an article a while back called “What Your Core Needle Biopsy Diagnosis Means” to help patients understand why sometimes even a “benign” diagnosis may require a surgical excision.  While writing that article, I spoke to many of my colleagues in breast pathology and breast imaging and found out that there is a marked [...]

Question: Hi I Had a sterotatic biopsy that revealed On the pathology report that I picked up said A. Columnar cell lesion with focal microcalcifications B. Lobular carcinoma in situ. I am so confused My doctor said I have DCIS but its lobular. Treatment plan is  lumpectomy and lymph node aspiration and then 5 years of [...]

Question: Hello, I just received the results of my core biopsy, I would like you opinion on it. Proliferated fibrocystic changes comprised of ductal epithelial hyerlasia with focal atypia, duct single minute microcalcification seen in benign fibrotic tissue. Patient needs surgery consult for breast biopsy. At this point, what do you think my risk is for cancer? I [...]

Question: After several years of mammograms showing mild calcifications, this year I was informed that the radiologist saw some mild changes in the calcifications. I did another mammogram, followed by a core biopsy. The initial report came back benign, but the final came back as atypical ductal hyperplasia. I am now scheduled [...]

In the current issue of Cancer (April 1), there is a an interesting news article summarizing the findings of the 3rd International Consensus Conference on Image-Detected Breast Cancer. The expert panel suggests that in up to 35% of cases, patients are undergoing unnecessary open surgical biopsies as a first diagnostic procedure when core needle biopsy [...]

Our poster “High Risks Breast Lesions: Still No Standard of Core”, which we co-authored with Dr. Dianne Georgian-Smith of Harvard Medical School, will be presented at the 20th annual meeting of the National Consortium of Breast Centers this March 20th-24th in Las Vegas.  This is an interdisciplinary meeting of breast healthcare professionals from around the [...]

Question: Four weeks ago I had a core biopsy with ductal carcinoma in situ and recently had a lumpectomy. My doctor said there was 2.2 cm of DCIS, high grade with necrosis, margins negative, estrogen receptor negative. He is suggesting radiation therapy but when I went for a second opinion, the pathologist said [...]

In the online “early view” section of the journal Cancer there is a new research article proposing that using three currently-used immunohistochemical breast markers in a group of patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy, doctors can sub-type cancers similar to those described by molecular profiling.  They also suggest these sub-types are associated with different responses to treatment and overall survival. [...]