Radial Scar / Complex Schlerosing Lesion

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lizardbeth33
lizardbeth33 Member Posts: 4
edited June 2014 in High Risk for Breast Cancer

Last week at my routine mammo and sono I was diagnosed with a Benign Complex Schlerosing Lesion after a Core Needle Biopsy.  I have breast implants.

Pathologist report said excisional biopsy required because these types of lesions hide cancer and/or eventually turn to cancer so the entire mass must be removed to make sure nothing is hiding inside.

I went to a top NYU Breast Surgeon yesterday who said he sees no reason to cut me open and make a scar on me because there were no atypia cells.  Every website says that these lesions are high risk and once you get them your chances of breast cancer double even if they are removed.

I am going for a second opinion next week even though I feel like I was in the best hands but then I wonder if he was nervous to operate because of the implants since he asked me if the radiologist had a hard time doing the biopsy.

Anyone ever had his type of lesions and was told its OK to leave it in?

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  • MishaT
    MishaT Member Posts: 251
    edited February 2013

    Ive been reading about this a little bit....I just found out I have a focal adenosis, which I believe is the same as a schlerosing legion.

    It appears many benign breast conditions are associated with an increased cancer risk. Without atypia, having a history of these conditions doubles your risk, with atypia, your risk is quadrupled.

    I'm not sure if removing the mass actually reduces risk because I think the issue is more that, with these conditions, cell growth is not normal and it will continue on abnormally whether the mass is removed or not. Sometimes, there isn't even a mass.

    That said, i had a mass and I had mine removed.

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  • MelissaDallas
    MelissaDallas Member Posts: 7,268
    edited February 2013

    Misha, you are incorrect. Your focal adenosis is not the same as a radial scar or a sclerosing lesion.



    Your statistics on increased risk are also too broad. I have sclerosing adenosis & my oncologists have said that the increased risk from it is so minimal as to not worry about it. My lesion was removed & will not continue to grow abnormally.



    Radial scar does carry a significant risk of having other more severe conditions lurking within the area. That is why they recommend removal to make sure.

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  • MishaT
    MishaT Member Posts: 251
    edited February 2013

    Well, I'm really glad to be wrong in that case :-)

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  • MishaT
    MishaT Member Posts: 251
    edited February 2013

    Deleting to avoid passing wrong info.

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  • Beesie
    Beesie Member Posts: 12,240
    edited February 2013

    lizardbeth, from what I've read, having a complex sclerosing lesion presents about a 10% chance that cancer might be found.  This is why the excisional biopsy was recommended.  I can't advise on whether or not you should have the excisional biopsy; you have to decide what's right for you. 

    If no cancer is present, having a complex sclerosing lesion presents about a 1.5 to 2 times increase in future breast cancer risk.  This is considered to be a slight increase in  risk; it is definitely not high risk.  Double the risk does sound like a lot but what you have to understand is that increases in risk are measured against base risk, not average risk. We have all heard the stat that about 12.4% of women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime.  12.4% is the average risk of all women; it includes some women who have no risk factors and others who are extremely high risk.  Base risk is the risk level that every woman faces just for being a woman. It's the risk level of someone who has no risk factors and no breast abnormalities. It's the starting point for measuring the increase in risk conferred by each individual risk factor. From anything I can find, base risk appears to be in the range of 4% - 5%.  So a 1.5X or 2X increase in base risk could still leave you below the average risk, if you have no other risk factors. This is why complex sclerosing lesions are considered to only slightly increase risk, because on their own they do not put someone anywhere near the high risk category. 

    These two webpages from the ACS explain complex sclerosing lesions, and the risk that the confer. 

    http://www.cancer.org/healthy/findcancerearly/womenshealth/non-cancerousbreastconditions/non-cancerous-breast-conditions-other-benign-br-cond

    http://www.cancer.org/healthy/findcancerearly/womenshealth/non-cancerousbreastconditions/non-cancerous-breast-conditions-benign-br-cond-and-br-cancer-risk

    I hope this information is helpful, and eases your mind about your future risk. 

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  • lizardbeth33
    lizardbeth33 Member Posts: 4
    edited February 2013

    Thank you for your reply.  I will check out the websites you posted. 

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