Do Fibrocystic Changes Increase Breast Cancer Risk?

— -- Question: If I have fibrocystic changes in my breasts does that increase my risk of breast cancer?

Answer: Fibrocystic changes alone do not increase the risk of developing breast cancer. Many, many women, particularly women before menopause, under the age of 50, have lumps and bumps in their breast that would be described as fibrocystic changes.

It's only those conditions in the breast that require a breast biopsy to decide whether they're cancer or benign, that lead to an increased risk. That is, there are certain conditions that we can see on a breast biopsy that are not breast cancer, but they are benign changes in the breast and those changes, if seen in the breast, can lead later in life to an increased risk of developing breast cancer.

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