An important finding of our studies concerns the relationship between proliferative breast disease and breast cancer.
Proliferative disease is characterized by abnormal numbers of glandular breast cells.
Thirty-one percent of women who have benign breast biopsies have proliferative breast disease. These women have a mild elevation in breast cancer risk. A rare type of proliferative disease called atypical hyperplasia is associated with a moderate elevation in this risk. As with complex fibroadenoma, the importance of this finding is enhanced in women with a family history of breast cancer. Women with atypical hyperplasia are particularly well advised to undergo mammographic screening and counseling for breast cancer risk.