Women with Atypia Lesions Have a Higher Risk of Developing Breast Cancer Than Thought

When it comes to breast cancer, detecting it early and assessing those most at risk is crucial. Now, scientists have found that women with atypical hyperplasia of the breast have a higher risk of developing breast cancer than previously thought.

Atypical hyperplasia of the breast is a precancerous condition that's found in about one-tenth of the over one million breast biopsies performed annually. Viewed under a microscope, atypia contains breast cells that are beginning to grow out of control and cluster into abnormal patterns. Atypia lesions are considered benign, but do have some of the early features of cancer.

The researchers examined the risk of developing breast cancer for these women with benign lesions. In the end, the researchers found that their absolute risk of developing breast cancer grows by over one percent per year. In fact, after five years, seven percent of these women have developed the disease. This increased to 13 percent after 10 years and 30 percent after 25 years.

"By providing better risk prediction for this group, we can tailor a woman's clinical care to her individual level of risk," said Lynn Hartmann, one of the researchers, in a news release. "We need to do more for this population of women who are at higher risk, such as providing the option of MRI screenings in addition to mammograms and encouraging consideration of anti-estrogen therapies that could reduce their risk of developing cancer."

By relying on actual data of breast cancer cases, the researchers revealed the absolute risk rather than relying on a hypothetical model. This, in turn, gives researchers something to work with when it comes to assessing a woman's risk for developing cancer and deciding whether or not further action is needed.

The findings are published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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