What do I do if atypia is found?
Finding women at risk is critical as most women diagnosed with breast cancer have no identifiable risk factors, other than age. With a diagnosis of atypia, patients are commonly referred to a Breast specialist. Breast Specialists perform a complete risk assessment, including family history. Atypia, combined with anything meaningful in this assessment will dictate next steps. All patients will likely receive lifestyle counseling and increased surveillance. In addition, depending on the assessment, it may be appropriate to increase the imaging power to include diagnostic mammograms, ultrasound, or MRI. Chemopreventive counseling may also be appropriate, as might be some minor surgical options. In short, there are many options for a woman identified as being at high-risk and the basic lifestyle counseling and increased surveillance are important starting points.
