Benign breast disease and the risk of breast cancer in the next 15 years.

AIM Fibrocystic mastosis (FCM) is defined by the totality of dystrophic changes of the mammary tissue, the grouping in the form of fibrosis of epithelial, cystic, metaplastic and hyperplastic alterations. A very good estimation of the cancer risk is related specifically to the microscopic aspect. Other factors, the family history as well as the presence of an inherited gene determining the increase in the risk of breast cancer are also considered. But, if a woman known with fibrocystic mastosis has not undergone any biopsy, then it is impossible to calculate the specific individual risk of developing cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS The data collected as a study material and considered refer to: the total num- ber of cases investigated and diagnosed with fibrocystic mastosis, the annual distribution of this disease cases, the distribution of the cases according to age groups, admission reasons, clinical examination, personal pathologic history clinically significant for the basic disease (the main diagnosis), the family medical history significant for the basic disease, the anatomopathological diagnosis. RESULTS Between 2004 and 2006, at "Cuza Vodă" Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Iaşi, a maximum number of cases is noticed in 2006, when there were 147 cases, and the lowest number of cases was in 2005. There was high frequency of the anatomopathological examinations that highlighted the presence of fibrocystic lesions (both proliferative and non-proliferative), and the second most often diagnosis is fibroadenoma. Though fibrocystic mastosis is not clearly defined, it is still admitted that in order to support this diagnosis it is first compulsory to exclude malignant tumours. CONCLUSIONS Only in 5% of the women with fibrocystic mastosis cellular changes can be revealed in the form of atypical hyperplasia, which are a risk factor for cancer. The lesion that delimits cancer from non-cancer is ductal carcinoma in situ. An incidence of over 20% is present in the countries that use mammographic screening programmes, mammographic surveillance programmes and programmes for the guided localization of nonpalpable lesions of the mammary gland.