Pathologic features of breast cancers in women with previous benign breastdisease

To compare pathologic features of the cancers arising after different types of benign breast disease (BBD), we reviewed the invasive breast cancer sli des of 169 women with a previous benign biopsy result. Lesions were categor ized previously as nonproliferative, proliferative without atypia, or atypi cal hyperplasia. Pathologic features of the cancers were evaluated without knowledge of the previous BED category. Estrogen and progesterone receptor immunohistochemistry was performed on available tissue blocks. The median times between a benign result and cancer were 100, 124, and 92 m onths for women with nonproliferative lesions, proliferative lesions withou t atypia, and atypical hyperplasia, respectively. Cancers in the 3 groups d id not differ significantly in tumor size, axillary lymph node status, or h istologic grade, and there was no significant difference in the distributio n of histologic types of breast cancel: Lymphatic vessel invasion, extensiv e intraductal component, and hormone receptor status did not differ among B ED categories. The pathologic features of breast cancers that develop in women with a prev ious benign biopsy result do not van, according to the histologic category of the previous BED.