More info on fibrocystic Tissue...
How common is this condition?
Between 50 and 80 percent of all women experience irregular or lumpy breasts.
In fact, some physicians believe that some fibrocystic breast tissue is practically
a universal condition in women over 30. Whatever the precise percentages, it
is now recognized that fibrocystic changes in the breast result from the response
of breast tissues to hormones during the menstrual cycle. Ask your close friends!
You’ll probably be surprised at how many women you know experience lumpy
breasts that appear or change in conjunction with their menstrual cycles.
If I have breast lumps,
how will I know if they should be examined further through a surgical biopsy?
The decision to have a pathologist examine a tissue biopsy is usually made
by your physician based on a variety of factors. These might include the
presence of a single dominant mass, or thickening, changes in your normal
breast tissue
that you or the physician notice, or certain abnormalities that are present
on
a mammogram. Many women with fibrocystic tissue may not need to undergo
biopsy. Remember that if your physician recommends a biopsy, it doesn’t mean
you have breast cancer. However, when a biopsy is indicated, microscopic examination
of the breast tissue by a pathologist will give you and your physician vital
information about your future risk.
Is it true that
some insurance companies cancel policies or raise premiums for women with
fibrocystic tissue?
When the College of American Pathologists heard about these practices,
the members studied these problems and issued a consensus statement about
fibrocystic
conditions.
The pathologists anticipate that this statement will be used to distinguish
between those few fibrocystic conditions that carry an increased risk
and the majority
that do not. If you have fibrocystic tissue, ask your physician to code
your type of fibrocystic condition according to the College of American
Pathologists’ consensus
statement. As women become more knowledgeable about fibrocystic conditions,
they can present sound arguments that will help change insurance patterns
that may
discriminate against women with this benign condition.
Is it true that
women with fibrocystic tissue in their breasts are more likely to develop
breast
cancer?
For most women, this is not the case at all; the facts show otherwise.
Through studies of women with fibrocystic conditions who underwent a
biopsy-the surgical
removal of tissue for examination by a pathologist-researchers reported
13 different subtypes of fibrocystic conditions with various risks for
the subsequent
development
of breast cancer. 70% of women studied have fibrocystic conditions that
represent no increased risk compared with other women. About 1/4 had
types of fibrocystic
changes that carry a slightly increased risk, and only 4% had conditions
representing a moderately increased risk. What this indicates is that
just because a woman
has a breast lump, she is not necessarily destined to get cancer. Only
a very small number of women with fibrocystic conditions have a moderately
increased
chance of developing breast cancer and those women can be identified
by a
pathologist’s
examination of their breast tissue.
So what should I be concerned
about? How do I know what is harmless and what could threaten my life?
About 1 in 9 women will develop breast cancer sometime throughout her
life. Early diagnosis provides the best chance for cure. It is important
for
every woman
to practice monthly breast self-examinations, to be examined regularly
by a physician and to have mammograms as recommended by the American
Medical Association, the
American Cancer Society, or her physician. The majority of breast cancers
are found by women themselves. Through breast self-examination, you
will become familiar
with the various tissues in your breast and know what is normal for
you. Report any changes you observe, as well as breast conditions in
family
members,
to your
physician.