FEA, LCIS ,ALH and ADH

Hello Denise. Great weightlifting picture. Being fit is always helpful as a lower BMI post-menopause correlates with lower breast cancer risk and a higher BMI post-menopause correlates with a higher breast cancer risk.

1. They can be considered a pre-cancerous condition. (I had no before an edit.) They are conditions that increase your risk of cancer in either breast because your cells are behaving abnormally. But they are not cancer and you may never get cancer and they are not the first step on the road to inevitable cancer. It is not a situation where if they are not treated you will eventually get cancer. There is continued research and debate about LCIS that results in invasive lobular carcinoma in the same area where LCIS has been found.

2. Yes, higher than the average risk, which is 1 out of 8 women. Still, it is good you had the areas removed so they could be analyzed.

3. The reason for Tamoxifen would be to decrease your risk of developing cancer in the future, since your odds are higher than average. There are 5 drugs that a post-menopausal woman can take to decrease the risk of breast cancer, Tamoxifen being one. Closer surveillance of your breasts may also be recommended.

4. No. What you have are various forms of atypia. The cells of your breast are acting in an atypical manner. Throughout your breasts, whether the lobular or ductal sections, the cells are atypical. If you have one of your conditions, it is likely you'll some of the others. I have all of your conditions, except FEA.

Your diagnosis can be confusing because you do not have cancer or even pre-cancer. But you are at a higher risk than average for developing breast cancer in the future. How much higher is the topic of current research and there is not always agreement based on the different models. It generally ranges from about 20%-50%, maybe 60%, over a lifetime, depending on the source you consult. Most of the professionals I have gotten advice from indicate a 20%-35% lifetime risk for LCIS and ALH. ADH has a lower risk.

This is a good place to seek answers and share your experiences. Best wishes.

Good luck at your Monday appointment. 90 lbs!!! Impressive.

You may not be jumping for joy because you were not told, "Your breasts are normal. False alarm." The atypical diagnosis you received means your breasts are not typical, not normal by definition. It does increase your risk of getting breast cancer. (I edited a response I made above to your question on is it pre-cancer, because it can be considered a pre-cancerous condition but not the first step on the road to likely cancer.)

This diagnosis introduces uncertainty into our lives and to deal with that uncertainty we may choose more screenings that can be stressful or drugs that may have undesirable side effects for some. But not for all.

Your outlook will likely change in time as you learn more and have a chance to get used to what you've been told. The appt. with the high risk nurse is a good step. Nice to know there is no need to hurry.

However compared to a malignant cancer diagnosis, a little jumping is probably in order. You are right that literally there are not that many people who can fully understand.