title: Are all ductal proliferations of the breast premalignant?
abstract: The evidence for ductal proliferations of the breast being associated with the development of breast carcinoma originally came from epidemiological studies. There have now been a variety of genetic analyses of such lesions, which have shown a range of alterations from none to 37% of hyperplasias. Alterations in growth regulatory factors (steroid receptors, proliferation and apoptosis-related proteins) can also be found in a proportion of hyperplasias. The findings to date indicate that not all hyperplasias are premalignant and that the early events in breast carcinogenesis remain elusive.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Walker
mesh_terms: D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D016158:Genes, p53 / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia / Q000235:genetics; D019656:Loss of Heterozygosity; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000235:genetics*