Risk of breast cancer is linked to Atypical Hyperplasia

According to a study conducted by Mayo Clinic women with atypical hyperplasia have higher risk of developing breast cancer. A typical hyperplasia of the breast is a condition in which the breast cells begin to grow abnormally or out of control.  The atypia lesions are not cancerous but the risk associated with the changes in the genes and appearance may indicate some of the early signs of the cancer.

The study was conducted on 698 women and all the women had atypical hyperplasia were also biopsied at Mayo Clinic between 1967 and 2001. Lynn Hartmann is the lead author of the study and an oncologist at Mayo Clinic.  It was observed that after five years, around 7 percent of women had developed the condition. The number went up to 13 percent after ten years  and  30 percent of them had breast cancer after 25 years.

A breast surgeon from Mayo Clinic, Amy Degnim, who is also the co- lead author of the study said “ There is lot that we can do for such women who are at higher risk like providing the option of MRI Screenings in addition to mammograms and encouraging of anti-estrogen therapies that could reduce the risk of developing cancer.

Atypical hyperplasia increases the risk of breast cancer but the new finding will surely help more with the condition says expert. According to the Director of Cancer Screening for the American Cancer Society the findings of the study will provide a new dimension to the doctors in breast cancer cases.

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