A 58-year-old woman sees her naturopathic health care provider for a routine health examination. There are no remarkable findings on physical examination. A screening mammogram shows a 0.5-cm irregular area of increased density with scattered microcalcifications in the upper outer quadrant of the left breast. Excisional biopsy shows atypical lobular hyperplasia. She has been on postmenopausal estrogen-progesterone therapy for the past 10 years. She has smoked 1 pack of cigarettes per day for the past 35 years. Which of the following is the most significant risk factor for the development of lobular carcinoma in patients with such lesions?
Correct Answer: Atypical cytologic changes
Description: Atypical lobular hyperplasia and atypical ductal hyperplasia increase the risk of breast cancer fivefold; the risk affects both breasts and is higher in premenopausal women or women who have a family history of breast cancer. Smoking and exogenous estrogen therapy are not well-established risk factors for breast cancer. The BRCA1 mutation accounts for about 10% to 20% of familial breast carcinomas and only a few percent of all breast cancers.
Category:
Pathology
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