Atypical ductal hyperplasia, ADH for short, is otherwise an excessive growth of the cells of the milk duct. ADH is treated as a benign lesion, which, however, may indicate an increased risk of developing breast cancer.
Opinions aboutatypical ductal hyperplasiaare divided. Some doctors believe that the presence of atypical ductal hyperplasia within the breast gland is associated with a relatively high risk of developingbreast cancer . It is true thatADHdoes not always turn into invasive cancer, but some experts believe that when unchanged ductal cells begin to show atypical hyperplasia, further genetic disorders may overlap and develop cancer development. Some believe that atypical hyperplasia increases the risk of developing invasive breast cancer by about 3 to 5 times.
Atypical ductal hyperplasia (adh) - diagnosis
The diagnosis and treatment of atypical ductal hyperplasia is a controversial issue. Generally, however, an open surgical biopsy is recommended for patients with atypical hyperplasia in the mammotomy biopsy material. Such patients should be carefully informed about the increased risk of developing breast cancer and should regularly report to specialist centers for the treatment of breast diseases.
Atypical ductal hyperplasia (adh) - treatment
Atypical ductal hyperplasia does not require specific treatment, however, due to the increased risk of breast cancer, regular breast inspection is recommended.
Atypical ductal hyperplasia (adh) - prophylaxis
The most important thing is breast self-control. Every woman should carefully examine her breasts once a month at the same time of the menstrual cycle and report any disturbing changes to her gynecologist. After the age of 40, regular breast ultrasound should be performed, which allows to distinguish a cystic lesion from a solid, suggesting a tumor. The examination that enables the diagnosis of a malignant lesion is mammography. The presence of neoplastic cells is confirmed by cytological examination (fine-needle biopsy or nipple leakage test) and histopathological examination,during which you can, among others diagnose atypical ductal hyperplasia.