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 [...]
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. [...]
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 [...]
