Lobular neoplasia in breast core needle biopsy specimens is not associated with an increased risk of ductal carcinoma in situ or invasive carcinoma

Abstract

Recent reports suggest that the finding of lobular neoplasia (atypical lobular hyperplasia [ALH] or lobular carcinoma in situ [LCIS]) in breast core needle biopsy specimens may be associated with an increased risk of both ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) or invasive carcinoma at excision. We reviewed our breast core biopsy material to see if we could confirm this finding. From 4,297 biopsies, 71 cases of lobular neoplasia alone and 35 cases of lobular neoplasia associated with atypical ductal hyperplasia were identified. Biopsy follow-up revealed DCIS or invasive carcinoma in none of 6 cases of ALH, none of 9 cases of LCIS, and DCIS in 1 of 11 cases with both atypical ductal hyperplasia and LCIS. Our results suggest that patients with lobular neoplasia in breast core biopsy specimens are not at increased risk of either DCIS or invasive carcinoma at excision, and patients with this finding and no other clinical or pathologic indications for biopsy can be followed up rather than routinely undergo excision.