Anyone dealing with Atypical Ductal Hyperplasia (ADH)?

Glad you posted as I’m in a similar place. Core needle biopsy showing ADH and waiting for my surgical appointment which I assume will be to schedule a surgical biopsy of more tissue. Would love to understand the significance given the ADH. My understanding is that the surgery is more diagnostic than treating.

During my yearly mammogram the pathologist found very small microcalcifications. I was sent for a magnification mammogram. The head pathologist recommended I have a stereostatic biopsy. I was then sent to a breast cancer surgeon and she performed a lumpectomy. Then I was sent to an oncologist and he recommended that I try anastrozole to stop my body from producing estrogen. I was told I am at a higher risk 4x for getting breast cancer. It doesn't run in my family that I know of. I am not a candidate for tamoxifen because of blood clots so anastrozole is the better treatment. I would get a second opinion from a breast cancer surgeon. I hope you get the answers you need.

There are many factors involved but yes, reducing the hormones affecting your breast tissue will help reduce new or recurring cancers. I had Lobular Cancer (not ductal)....not sure what your type of cancer is...but Lobular, the type I had tends to show up in both breasts over time. Ductal is not so likely to do that. That was a main factor in my decision making regarding the bi lateral mastectomy......I had cancer over two years in both breasts. That doesn't necessarily happen as often with ductal types of cancer. The AI drugs are recommended for women with all breast cancers. If you reduce the hormones, you reduce the chance of new cancer or the cancer recurring. I do feel trying the drugs is a good idea. Many women use them with minimal or no side effects. Talk with your doctors about your type, stage and chance of additional cancers in the future. Ask questions and make sure you get answers you understand and feel comfortable with. I was lucky to have a very good oncologist and surgeon when I was first diagnosed who were very open minded and helpful. My second time around with the second breast cancer I also had a great oncologist (who I have now) who was helpful with information on reducing risks of cancer coming back. Make sure you have doctors you can talk with and feel comfortable with.....it's very important for your mental health. Also, check out the conversations here on the Connect site for women discussing and using AI drugs and other information. These are tough decisions. Ultimately you have to decide what's best for you but it's hard to wade through the options when you get a cancer diagnosis, it's so scary and it upends your life. The support on this site, from other women going through this, was invaluable to me and that's why I'm happy to share my experience and thoughts. It's most important you feel your doctors are listening to you and offering you the support and information you need but it's still, in the end, your decision and that can be very stressful. Hugs

So I’m ER strong positive that’s why they told me to take the tamoxifen so do you think this medicine it will help me to stop the second cancer on the other side

@roroj

I tried to use the hormones but I wasn't able to, due to side effects. I tried Letrozole, Arimidex, and one other (whose name escapes me now). All of them caused me severe depression and joint pain. After I failed all three.....I requested a hormone blood work up for my estrogen and progesterone and testosterone. I had literally none of any of them (I had been severely limited on progesterone my whole life but didn't know until I had breast cancer at the age of 53 and was post menopausal)....so my breast cancer was estrogen positive 99%. The hormone imbalance, in hindsight, was obvious to me once I had the testing done. I was grateful for the testing because it helped me to see what had been going on for me my whole life. I periodically request the hormone tests to see my status and it's remained....none of those little buggers exist anymore, just traces. So, it's difficult for the breast cancer to grow in those circumstances, but again, I am now post menopausal and that makes a huge difference. Also, I'm not sure my situation is common, where the hormone balance is so bad in general. It has been nine years since my Stage 0 diagnosis and seven since my Stage 1 diagnosis and bi lateral mastectomy, no recurrance so far (thank goodness). I 'think', had I chosen lumpectomy I would have had to try and tolerate the AI's perhaps, but I don't know. Many women I know personally used the AI drugs successfully with lumpectomy and mastectomy.....so it's always worth a try. I tried and failed, but that's just me. Hope this helps. Hugs.

Did you take the hormone therapy

Mine is 0.8 cm with the biopsy . I had mastectomy and the lymph node is negative. So I’m still don’t know which the best treatment for my case my Oncotype is 20

@roroj Hello....... The options I was given for my Stage 1 Invasive Lobular Cancer were lumpectomy or mastectomy. I chose a bilateral mastectomy because my Stage 0 cancer was in my left breast and my Stage 1 invasive cancer was in my right. I wanted to eliminate the risk of cancer in both breasts, given my situation of following my cancer for two years prior to the invasive cancer diagnosis. However, lumpectomy would have been a reasonable choice as well - I had lumpectomy in the left Stage 0 breast initially. My tumor size was quite small. I don't remember now the exact size. I was lucky that there was no spread to my lymph nodes and that was my goal, to stop the cancer before it had a chance to grow further and spread. Another goal of mine was to avoid radiation and chemo, which I did. I hope I answered your question, but if you have further questions, please let me know. I'm happy to help and support you. I know how difficult this process can be. Hugs to you!

I have some thoughts on this one....boy do I, ha ha!! I have extreme vaginal dryness and I have been using vaginal estrogen cream for a couple of years now. As a breast cancer survivor I worried but most of the current research and my doctors said it's pretty safe - as far as the amount of estrogen that is absorbed into your bloodstream, re: cancer recurrance. I didn't realize how bad your vaginal atrophy can become without it and got a little lax and oh boy....you don't want to do that. You can get (as I have) a prolapse of your bladder into your vagina, so keep after that cream and visits with your doctor on that. Also, I use the brand Replens. I've found it to work for general moisture and relief from the dryness. Also, with vaginal dryness and atrophy you can get more uti's and yeast infections.....yup, I just went through that, so make sure you keep either Replens or another brand, Rephresh on board regularly. If you have severe dryness (which I've managed to have) a doctor can prescribe a topical lidocane cream, in the event you get vulvodynia (pain in your vagina). I hope this helps and I hope you find relief and get a good plan to manage this very common concern. It was a surprise to me and I'm much more vigilant now. Hugs

What kind of treatment they give you for stage 1. And what your tumor size