LAS VEGAS, NV -- April 15, 2005 -- Physicians need to follow-up women who have had benign breast biopsies because of their increased need for future biopsies and higher risk for cancer, Virginia researchers report.

After studying 180 women who underwent benign breast biopsies (BBB), researchers at Eastern Virginia Medical School recommend that these women should undergo follow-up clinical breast examination and mammography or ultrasound every 6 months, 1 and 2 years after biopsy.

Susanna Shin, MD, surgical resident, Department of Surgery, Eastern Virginina Medical School, Norfolk, Virginina, United States, said, "These women should be considered [to be at] high risk for breast cancer."

"There was a 2.3% incidence of breast cancer in the women that were followed for 2 years," she said during a poster session at the American Society of Breast Disease 29^th annual symposium. "This may not sound like a high risk, but it is."

While it has been known that histologically proven benign breast disease increases a woman's relative risk for subsequent cancer development, follow-up guidelines have been lacking, she said. "There have been no set recommendations on how to follow these women."

During a recent 2-year period, Dr. Shin and colleagues followed 130 women, ages 18 to 86 years, who had benign breast biopsies.

There was no significant difference in mean age, race, menarche, menopause, parity, age at first live birth, use of over the counter drugs, history of prior biopsy, family history of breast cancer, or pathology of the initial lesions between those who required a subsequent biopsy and those who did not.

Six excisional biopsies were performed -- one at 6 months, three at 1-year and two at 2-years -- to find out whether growth of the BBB lesion and pathology remained the same as the original diagnosis.

They found that during the follow-up period, 14% of the women required subsequent biopsies.

Eight biopsies were done for new findings on mammogram or ultrasound; 2.3% of them yielded a cancer diagnosis, one at 6 months, one at 1 year and one at 2 years. No new lesions were identified during follow-up by clinical breast exam alone.

"We recommend that women with benign breast biopsies be followed with mammography or ultrasound and a clinical breast examination at 6 months, 1 year and 2 years after a benign breast biopsy," she concluded.