Question: I had a stereotactic core biopsy of cluster of calcifications in the upper inner left breast. Path diagnosis columnar cell change and hyperplasia with focal atypical micropapillary hyperplasia with microcalcifications. surgicial excision is recommended. From my understanding this is not cancer but has the potential to be cancer down the road. I [...]

There is controversy in the breast health care community about using the term “carcinoma” for a non-invasive tumor (DCIS or LCIS).  I want to share with you the abstract from the NIH State-of-the-Science Conference Statement on Ductal Carcinoma in Situ which was just published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.  There is a [...]

The newest edition of the AJCC’s Staging Manual is out and there are some changes to breast cancer staging which took effect January 1, 2010.  Several updates in the new edition I felt were good include:
- Moving T0/T1 tumors with only micrometases in the axillary nodes to stage IB from the IIA category.
- Re-affirming the [...]

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 [...]

In the January 1, 2010 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, a study was released which confirms the belief that tubular carcinomas of the breast have a more favorable prognosis than typical Grade I invasive carcinomas, NST.
I’ve reported before on invasive carcinomas which have been associated with a more favorable prognosis.  Tubular carcinoma is [...]

Here is a summary by a special panel of the American Society of Breast Disease on the importance of multidisciplinary breast care which addresses gaps in our current process of trying to obtain optimal breast health care for patients.
As a disclaimer, I am a member of the American Society of Breast Disease, but I was not [...]

See the updated chapter on Phyllodes Tumors in the fourth edition of Harris’ Diseases of the Breast.

My colleague, Dr. Dianne Georgian-Smith of Harvard Medical School, and I recently wrote a Letter to the Editor to the American Journal of Roentgenology discussing our views on treatment of “high risk” breast lesions diagnosed on core needle biopsy.

March 26th, 2010:  ”Practical Approaches to Challenging Breast Lesions in Everyday Practice” at the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology annual meeting, Washington D.C.
May 3, 2010: “Controversies on High Risk Lesions at Core Biopsy: Radiology and Pathology Perspectives” at the 2010 Annual meeting of the American Roentgen Ray Society, San Diego.