Question: Hello, and thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.
March 29th first biopsy done, clinical information and history: Bloody nipple discharge left breast for 20 months, papilloma suspected, mammogram clear. Diagnosis after excision: 1. Low grade DCIS 2. Focal proliferative fibrocystic changes and small intraductal papilloma 3. DCIS [...]

I recently gave a talk in Mexico City on lobular neoplasia (alh/lcis) which is now available here as a pdf:
Lobular_neoplasia
The talk covers the difference between ALH and LCIS and the new variants of LCIS such as pleomorphic LCIS and LCIS with necrosis. We also talk about the possibility that LCIS is a precursor to invasive [...]

I recently gave a talk on second opinions in breast pathology at the 21st Annual Conference of the National Consortium of Breast Centers in Las Vegas. A modified version of that talk is available here as a pdf:
Second_Opinion_Pathology
The first part of the talk covers some of the data in the literature and the second part [...]

There is a recent study published in the September 23 issue of Breast Cancer Research that looked at changes in prognostic markers (estrogen/progesterone receptor and HER2/neu) between primary breast cancers and metastatic lesions. If you click on the Breast Cancer Research link it will provide you with the abstract.  The full article is temporarily free from [...]

Question: My 75 y/o mother who was sent to an oncologist due to a bone scan that showed a hot spot on the right rib. A bone marrow biopsy/aspir was done and she was diagnosed with breast cancer with mets to the spine-results were ER/PR +. Mammograms, cat scans, Petscans were neg. She [...]

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. [...]

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 [...]

Knowing the stage of your breast cancer helps your medical team determine how big the cancer is and if it has spread. This helps them guide your therapy and provide reliable prognostic information.
In general, staging is done following your surgery, either after lumpectomy or mastectomy. It usually includes evaluation of the lymph nodes in your [...]

This past October I was at the XXVII Brazilian Society of Pathology meeting in Buzios, Brazil where I was invited to give a few lectures on breast pathology.  I gave one lecture on the traditional grading of breast cancer vs. the new molecular tests that are available. The audience response made me think more on [...]