What does it mean if my report says "fat necrosis"?įat necrosis can result from injury to the breast although it may also be seen without any history of trauma. What does it mean if my report says any of the following terms: "adenosis", "sclerosing adenosis", "apocrine metaplasia", "cysts", "columnar cell change", "columnar cell hyperplasia", "collagenous spherulosis", "duct ectasia", "columnar cell change with prominent apical snouts and secretions (CAPSS)", "papillomatosis", or "fibrocystic changes"?Īll of these terms are non-cancerous things that the pathologist sees under the microscope and are of no importance when seen on a biopsy or lumpectomy. This FAQ sheet is designed to help you understand the medical language used in the pathology report. The pathology report tells your treating doctor the diagnosis in each of the samples to help manage your care. When your breast was biopsied, the samples taken were studied under the microscope by a specialized doctor with many years of training called a pathologist. Dr Schwartz and Gornish are both active faculty members of the Jacqueline Wilentz Comprehensive Breast Center, and deal with breast issues on a regular basis, keeping up with all of the latest surgical literature on breast diseases, and the newest techniques in breast surgery.FAQs: Benign Breast: BRB9 UNDERSTANDING YOUR PATHOLOGY REPORT: A FAQ SHEET Gornish, and Cotler have extensive experience (over 60 years combined!) in dealing with breast diseases. But when a diagnosis of breast cancer is made, it should be comforting to know that our surgeons have the longest experience in the region in dealing with all of the complexities of breast cancer care. Many of these abnormalities will turn out to be benign. Image guided needle biopsy (done by a special breast radiologist) for non-palpable findings Needle biopsy (one of 2 types) for palpable masses Following this, the surgeon to recommend from a wide range of options for further investigation, if needed, including some or all of the following:įurther imaging (focused mammogram, ultrasound, etc) The doctor will also perform a complete breast examination, and review the imaging. The surgeon will review the patient’s history, with particular attention to prior breast issues, prior breast surgery and family history of breast cancer. These findings often require a visit to the breast surgeon. There are few things scarier to a woman than to have her doctor tell her that there is an abnormality on her mammogram, or, maybe worse, for her to find a breast mass herself. It is sometimes difficult to pinpoint the cause of a breast mass, and these types of masses may require imaging and possibly a biopsy to help identify the exact cause. It is important to have these types of lumps or masses evaluated by a breast surgeon. Fibrocystic disease is quite common, and sometimes requires further intervention or biopsy to be assured of the diagnosis. This can also be affected by the menstrual cycle. Fibrocystic disease can also cause a “lumpy” feeling in the breast as well. Painful breast cysts can often be “cured” in minutes by a needle aspiration, very easily done in the office. This often varies with the menstrual cycle. Cysts are quite common in pre-menopausal women and can cause breast discomfort and the feeling of a lump. The most common of these benign masses is the breast cyst.
The majority of these fall into the benign category, which means that they are non- cancerous. Masses develop in the breast on a fairly common basis. At Atlantic Surgical Group, we routinely see women for their annual breast examinations. However, many women feel more comfortable having their yearly exam performed by a breast surgeon. This can be done by the patient’s primary physician or their gynecologist. It is recommended that women over age 40 have a breast examination by a physician.
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