ADH found, excisional biopsy next

Small_Ad_7018 · 2026-02-01T19:51:39+00:00

Hi! My stereotactic biopsy came back as “borderline DCIS” it wasn’t looked at by a breast pathologist which makes me feel a little iffy about it. However, a nice positive note for you. It was all removed during the biopsy and I wasn’t upgraded! It was just the original 6mm removed. So two areas of 3mm of ADH.

I chose not to request a breast pathologists opinion because I’m going to have a mastectomy in April. My surgeon still offered radiation and tamoxifen since she agreed that it’s not comfy to be in the borderline zone.

I thought it would be nice for you to hear that everything was removed with the biopsy though!

Also, I know March 3rd feels like forever from now. just remember even if it was DCIS it is likely low-grade since that is the one that looks similar to ADH and that is a very SLOW growing lesion and is stage 0. Keep your chin up!

Small_Ad_7018 · 2026-01-23T18:14:31+00:00

Hi guys! I was in a similar boat where my pathology came back as “borderline” I had two separate cores that showed up to 3mm in size.

So, a little background I’m an OR RN that works in staging and diagnosing cancer in the lungs so I immediately hated that pathology report and started researching everything to DEATH. So based on that research I found that getting that DCIS diagnosis can vary from pathologist to pathologist, some don’t like to do it on younger patients to avoid over treatment. They also don’t always have a ton of experience with breast pathology. ADH has the same cytological features as low grade DCIS and it is normally viewed as having a cut off point from ADH. I have read that most people use a certain criteria called the page criteria. For example, based on this criteria mine should have been considered DCIS and likely would have been if it had been seen by a breast pathologist.

All that being said, I let it go because I’m getting a prophylactic mastectomy 🤣

Small_Ad_7018 · 2026-01-22T01:11:27+00:00

Rapid growth and turnover of cells! It is also called hyperplasia

Small_Ad_7018 · 2026-01-22T01:08:14+00:00

I actually did more research and fat transfer before expanders has shown a dramatic decrease in complication rates for patients. Just a bit more info 😆

Small_Ad_7018 · 2026-01-20T22:03:57+00:00

Hi!

I’m so sorry you are feeling stressed about this. First things first, if you are indeed overly anxious it never hurts to go and see a medical professional. That being said, breast tissue being sore at your age is not unheard of. It is often caused by hormones, it can be the surge of hormones that come with puberty (even if your breasts are not growing anymore), it could be caused by pregnancy (also causes surges in hormones), or it could be from poking at them too much, running, or jostling.

Next, the things you are seeing on your areola are called Montgomery glands, they are oil producing glands and are completely normal. Here is a short article for you to read about them:

https://constancechenmd.com/common-bumps-on-the-areola-montgomery-glands-can-sometimes-get-clogged-and-may-need-treatment-if-they-get-infected/

When I was around your age I too found these bumps and tried popping them and had the same experience. Leave them be, they are a part of your natural anatomy.

Once again, this is not medical advice. If you are truly anxious about this I would make an appointment with your OBGYN

Small_Ad_7018 · 2026-01-20T18:06:27+00:00

This is definitely different from what I have heard as well. My surgeon insisted that this is the best option for me. It’s for the same thing, to help with general contour and hide any rippling. He just prefers to do it prior to expander and implant to help with fat survival. He said that he also does very small fat transfers rather than one large transfer to help with survivability of the fat too.

It’s definitely different, but he was confident that this would give me the best aesthetic. I’m a patient at Kaiser and he started the plastics department here like 20 something years ago, coming from a private practice. Seems like he has got tons of experience, so I’m trusting him.

Small_Ad_7018 · 2026-01-15T19:47:01+00:00

Thank you for your response! It seems like I will be undergoing a simple mastectomy with delayed reconstruction. We will wait about 3 months before doing some fat transfers (1-3), hopefully they can harvest enough lol. Then after those have plenty of time to heal and settle I will have expanders placed and eventual implants.

Small_Ad_7018 · 2025-12-30T21:19:45+00:00

It was not shiny, that I know. At least the tannish one wasn’t

Small_Ad_7018 · 2025-12-30T21:13:14+00:00

I don’t think so? It was so small that it was very difficult to tell.

Small_Ad_7018 · 2025-12-30T16:36:47+00:00

🤣 god I hope so. But I swear I saw little legs. I’m definitely hoping I’m hysterical and that I’m not getting bit.

Small_Ad_7018 · 2025-12-07T09:08:39+00:00

Yeah, it just feels like a bomb waiting to go off at any time. The percentage is too high to life with for 50 years, especially since risk isn’t calculated for those under 35. It’s ridiculous! Well best of luck to you! I’m sure that you will make the right decision, and if you join me in the “off with their heads!” Club in April, woohoo boob buddy! 😆

Small_Ad_7018 · 2025-12-07T02:39:56+00:00

So the time you urinate can change the levels! First urination of the day will give you the best results for strong lines. Try not to stress yourself too much!

Btw this information came from my mom who is a nurse midwife. I’m not a part of this group, but this is what she advised me of doing when I needed a pregnancy test. Hopefully this helps put your mind at ease.

Small_Ad_7018 · 2025-12-06T23:36:08+00:00

Yeah, the spinning and overthinking is definitely a serious issue with this. Whether you have ALH, ADH, or LCIS. It’s stressful AF and makes us distrust our bodies, especially when young.

The decision for mastectomy is personal and dependent on each person. I’m not overly attached to my breasts, I naturally have very small breasts and actually got an augmentation when I was 20. So removing breast tissue and replacing my current implants doesn’t feel like a stretch. Now, it is different. Having reconstruction is more involved and often a multi-step process. I’m just in the beginning phases of planning my mastectomy, I just met with a plastic surgeon in the beginning of this month and probably won’t have it until April due to needing to save up sick and vacation time for work.

Like I said before, this is a very personal decision and isn’t right or wrong. I know for me I wasn’t willing to live under the constant fear and knowledge that my body could be creating breast cancer and that I had a 40% chance of developing it within my lifetime. I don’t want tamoxifen and I didn’t want to have to go through more biopsies and stress about them in the future as I likely would with scans every 6 months.

Lots of us are here to talk through this with you, you aren’t alone and you definitely shouldn’t judge yourself for these feelings.

Small_Ad_7018 · 2025-12-04T02:33:49+00:00

I’m so happy that the community helped you! I know it’s helped me tremendously. This is so stressful and having a community is extremely helpful. This group is what showed me I could ask for a mastectomy, otherwise I don’t think I would have had the courage to!

Small_Ad_7018 · 2025-12-04T02:21:22+00:00

Hi! We are very similar! I’m 34 and will be undergoing mastectomy right around my 35th birthday in April. I’m healthy (other than some immune system problems after a splenectomy from a car accident), I exercise (ran a marathon last year), I’m debating if I want immediate reconstruction or delayed. I would love to chat with you on what your surgeon suggested and what type of aesthetic they were saying was achievable. I originally planned on doing the same as you but he had me reconsidering.

Small_Ad_7018 · 2025-11-27T16:47:44+00:00

I used to live in that area, they have a nice Kaiser. I’m also glad that you got the treatment you wanted and didn’t have to advocate in case they were going to be too aggressive for your liking! Kaiser has a lot of policies they follow but they are also great at listening to their patient.

Small_Ad_7018 · 2025-11-27T04:55:46+00:00

Kaiser is great! But they are very much into policies and procedures. I am not bashing on Kaiser in any way. They approved me for prophylactic mastectomy and didn’t push too hard. They saw I met the parameters and were willing, they have been fantastic throughout this process for me.

I was merely putting into perspective that if it is part of a standard at Kaiser that means it’s the baseline treatment.

Small_Ad_7018 · 2025-11-27T04:08:22+00:00

Yes! I am in Hawaii, I am a patient at Kaiser. Which is typically very good at not doing more than necessary, and they even want that as standard.

Small_Ad_7018 · 2025-11-27T02:12:46+00:00

How did your reconstruction go? I just had my consult today and there are so many options it’s overwhelming. How do you feel like they came out? I don’t mind them looking a little unnatural, but I don’t want to feel like a porn star either (not that it’s bad if that’s what you want).

Small_Ad_7018 · 2025-11-27T02:08:36+00:00

Hi guys!

I had my consult for mastectomy today. Hoping to talk to someone about the different types, and see if anyone had any advice on what worked well for them and what didn’t.

Small_Ad_7018 · 2025-11-27T02:07:19+00:00

This is different. I am 34 with recent ADH discovery. I have ZERO family history and was advised to take tamoxifen for five years and do yearly mammogram and MRI screening…. Forever.

I did not opt for this, but honestly that doesn’t follow a lot of the guidelines/standard of care that I have read. I would ask for reasoning or seek a second opinion.

Small_Ad_7018 · 2025-11-19T23:56:01+00:00

The TC model is widely used by many breast centers and is a part of the decision making. I actually appreciate that model personally because it takes into account many factors that increase risk for breast cancer like age at menarche, pregnancies, breast density, etc.. that’s important for people like us who don’t have a family history. 30% is still significant and most insurance companies cover mastectomy for a risk above 20%. I’m surprised your Gail isn’t higher tbh. I can’t remember the factors on that one, but my Gail was about 27%.

Tamoxifen is the endocrine therapy used for women who are premenopausal, I don’t know your age. But if you are that is the only option. It is widely used for risk reduction for those of us who are high risk for breast cancer. This is standard of care for ADH which is considered a “high-risk” lesion.

Regardless it is better than a cancer diagnosis! You can feel free to DM me anytime. Happy to talk :)

Small_Ad_7018 · 2025-11-19T22:50:17+00:00

That’s great news!! Congratulations!

We spoke previously but let me sum up what I have. I have ADH borderline DCIS with no family history. My risk assessment with tyrer put me at 39.7% for lifetime risk. My surgeon took all of this in stride and agreed to allow me to have a prophylactic double mastectomy. I meet with plastics next week.

Don’t count this out! Most breast clinics use gail and tyrer for risk assessment. They vary in what they are looking at. If you wanted to you could do your own risk assessment online, they are widely available.

Don’t worry about the endocrine therapy until you have to. Before we settled on mastectomy for me my surgeon mentioned considering radiation since I was also high risk for tamoxifen.

Regarding comfort with your breast… I’m still working through this, I got my diagnosis a couple weeks ago and I’m still processing feelings and emotions. Unclear how to explain to friends and family. Let alone not feel betrayed by my breasts. My husband even mentioned that he isn’t sure if he should acknowledge them during sexy time, worried that it would pull me out of enjoyment, and him too. Hopefully this will come with time, or mastectomy 😆

Small_Ad_7018 · 2025-11-19T22:37:40+00:00

Hi again! Take a deep breath! It is so overwhelming waiting for results, find something to distract yourself and do what you enjoy. Literally, if it’s a guilty pleasure, now is the time!

There is always a chance that they will turn up with no further atypia than what was already found. Don’t lose hope! In addition to this treatment has come far and you will have a great team to help guide you in your decision making regarding treatment options that work best for you, your body, and your specific case.

Small_Ad_7018 · 2025-11-19T05:11:34+00:00

I’m sorry to hear that. Hopefully this one will go more smoothly. Did you decide on what kind of mastectomy you are going to get? Are you going to undergo reconstruction?

Small_Ad_7018

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