If it鈥檚 not breast cancer, should you worry?

November 1, 2021

By Kelly Bilodeau, Former Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch

Noncancerous findings on a mammogram are common. Most of the time it鈥檚 no cause for concern, but some benign breast diseases do increase the risk for cancer.

You found a lump in your breast, and your doctor recommended a biopsy to rule out cancer. Statistically speaking, chances are very good that it鈥檚 not cancer. Some 80% of breast biopsies are negative.

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About the Author

Kelly Bilodeau, Former Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch

Kelly Bilodeau is the former executive editor of Harvard Women’s Health Watch. She began her career as a newspaper reporter and later went on to become a managing editor at HCPro, a Boston-area healthcare publishing company, … See Full Bio

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