[Morphologically detectable prestages of breast cancer].

As to pathogenesis of breast carcinoma two different pathways are suggested: carcinoma de novo, without preceding breast lesion and carcinoma with preexisting intraductal epithelial proliferation (about 30%), in chronic cystic disease (mastopathy). A prospective study of 400 female patients aged 15 to 45 years revealed after bioptically verified chronic cystic disease of the breast, irrespectively of severity of chances, recurrance of lesions occured in 20% within control periods of up to 60 months. In 50% of these cases a repeat biopsy appeared to be indicated. Statistical evaluation yielded no evidence for chronic cystic disease with intraductal proliferation showing a higher rate of subsequent carcinoma than simple mastopathy without epithelial proliferation, based on 5 years period of observance. This study is to be continued, to test, if in a larger collective of patients and after a longer period of time this trend remains to be constant.