Breast Pathology Flashcards
When does the breast completely mature and become fully functional?
During pregnancy
What is the most commonly used screening test for breast cancer?
Mammographic screening
Why does the sensitivity and specificity for mammography increase with age?
At age 40, the probability that a mammographic lesion is cancer is only 10% but this rises to greater than 25% in women older than 50
What forms mammographic densities?
Breast lesions that replace adipose tissue with radiodense tissue
If a rounded density is seen on mammogram, this most likely indicates what kind of lesion?
Benign lesions such as fibroadenomas or cysts whereas carcinomas generally form irregular masses
What is the average size of invasive carcinoma detected by mammography?
About 1cm (significantly smaller than carcinoma detected by palpation)
Calcifications form on what?
Secretions, necrotic debris, or hyalinized stroma and are often associated with benign lesions such as apocrine cysts, hyalinized fibroadenomas and sclerosis adenosis
What are the characteristics of calcifications that are associated with malignancy?
Small, irregular, numerous and clustered
What percentage of invasive carcinomas aren’t detected by mammography?
10%; this could be due to the presence of surrounding radiodense tissue obscuring the tumor (esp in younger women), small size, a diffuse infiltration pattern with little or no desmoplastic response or a location close to the chest wall or in the periphery of the breast
All palpable masses require what?
Further investigation
What is digital breast tomosynthesis (3D mammography?
Integrates additional views of the breast and can detect subtle changes in breast parenchymal texture
US can distinguish between what?
Solid and cystic lesions and more precisely defines the borders of solid lesions
What can MRI detect?
Cancers by the rapid uptake of contrast agents due to increased tumor vascularity and blood flow and can be particularly helpful in the evaluation of breasts of high density
Which epithelial breast lesion has the greatest risk of developing invasive carcinoma?
CIS (LCIS and DCIS)
Which epithelial lesions have hte lowest risk of developing invasive carcinoma?
Nonproliferative breast changes such as mild hyperplasia, duct ectasia, cysts, apocrine metaplasia**, adenosine, fibroadenomas (without complex features)
Which drugs can cause gynecomastia?
Digoxin; Isoniazid; Spironolactone; Cimiteidine; (O)Estrogens Stillboestrol; (DISCOS)
Why are stromal tumors known as biphasic?
Because they include a non-neoplastic epithelial component, the proliferation of which may be stimulated by GFs elaborated by the stromal cells
What does the prognosis of breast cancer depend on?
Both biological features and the extent of cancer at the time of dx (anatomic stage)
How is DCIS treated?
Locally (as subsequent invasive carcinoma usually occurs at the same time whereas LCIS confers bilateral risk)
The incidence of breast cancer is highest in women of which descent?
European
Which women have the highest mortality rate from breast cancer?
Those of African descent
What are major factors that decrease risk of breast cancer?
Early pregnancy (prior to 20 years of age) and prolonged breast feeding
What are the greatest RF for development of breast cancer?
Female gender, increasing age, germline mutations of high penetrance, strong FHx (greatest if affects first degree relative at a young age and with multiple cancers), personal Hx of breast cancer and high breast density, lifetime exposure to estrogen
What are the greatest RFs for sporadic breast cancer?
All related to hormone exposure: gender, age at menarche and menopause, reproductive hx, breast feeding and exogenous estrogens
What is the function of BRCA1 and 2 genes?
Tumor suppressor proteins that help repair damaged DNA
Which gene has the greatest risk of breast cancer at age 70?
BRCA1 (familial breast and ovarian); most commonly TNBC
One quarter to one third of breast cancers occur due to what?
Inheritance of a susceptibility gene