ADH

My biopsy showed atypical ductal hyperplasia. I am 70 years old . What is my next step? What type of dr do I see?  Do I rush to see a surgeon? At 70 is Taximofin necessary?

[zouzi]

Hi,
Atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) is a medical condition in which the cells which line the milk ducts of the breasts experience abnormal growth. This condition is not cancerous, but it can indicate an increased cancer risk for women. As a result, doctors usually recommend careful monitoring and follow-up in patients who have exhibited atypical ductal hyperplasia in one or both breasts.You should make an appointment with a Breast Surgeon soon,because you don't know how long it will take you to see him/her.The Surgeon will be the best one to advise you about other options too.A lumpectomy followed by Radiation is also often recommended as part of the treatment.As for the Tamoxifen therapy,your Surgeon will also advise if it is necessary to take this drug or another one more suitable for your age.
Best wishes.....and good luck..

[japdip]

Your next step should be either to see a Surgeon or perhaps an Oncologist. Eventually you would see both under these circumstances. The usual treatment is wide excision of the area of ADH followed (possibly) by Radiation and depending upon the hormone response some type of hormone therapy. I would think that the Dr. that ordered the imagery followed by biopsy has advised you about what to do next.   Regards .....

[Barbara7732]

I am a suspicious person by nature and cannot help but question . I had a excisional surgery to remove calcifications. The first phone call by the dr. was "all good". When I went a week later for the followup the dr said she had a "small worry". I waited another week to hear what the smaall worry was and she then reported that they found 3 small pre cancer cells in the tissue surrounding the ducts that were taken out.
Before I could digest this she was using words like  "MRI"  to see if there were more cells and "radiation".
I have read a lot since being diagnosed with microcalcifications and it seems that pre cancer does not mean it definitely will turn to cancer quickly and in some drs estimation it could take years.
I am a person who thinks it may have been the mammograms I had over 30+ years that may have caused the problem in the first place-all that radiation and squashing of the breast.
I am 70 years old and do not want to think I am being pushed into a lot of things that may be unnecessary and will diminish the quality of my life when it may not be necessary.

[japdip]

In your first post you stated that your biopsy showed ADH which is sometimes referred to as "pre-cancerous" so it isn't beyond comprehension that these cells were found in the Pathology report on the specimen obtained at surgery. An MRI is just another test but one that is more sensitive than both Mammogram and/or Ultrasound. This is often used also when the breast tissue is very dense to detect things that the other two might miss. As I stated in my first answer to you that Radiation is pretty much routine after surgery to remove the area of ADH and possibly even the hormone therapy to further lessen the development of breast cancer in the future. I don't believe that the Mammograms would have caused any of these problems as the radiation from them is VERY minimal and we usually have much more exposure than that with regular X-rays throughout our lives for one reason or another. Benefits of these tests outweigh the risk. I can't see that either the MRI or the Radiation would compromise your quality of life but I know for a fact that the development of breast cancer certainly would.  It is up to you though so why not have the MRI and see what they say after those results are in; you can give that some more thought and decide later on the Radiation.  Take care .... I "get it when you say you aren't sure at your age that it would be worth it at this time. 70 is pretty young these days though.