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What Does My Pathology Test Result Indicate?

Posted on Mon, 25 Jul 2016

Question: I am stressing over changing physicians. Please tell me your thoughts. I have had breast cancer, have a lung nodule with irregular margins, and large thyroid nodules that were FNB under ultrasound. The pathology report said atypical cells but it took SIX weeks for my doctor to tell me even though I called his office 3 times. Is this normal? It's causing me a lot of stress

Answered by Dr. Shailja Puri (43 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Atypical cell could be dysplastic or malignant,consult your oncologist

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for posting your query on HealthcareMagic.
A report reading 'atypical cells' is alarming.
These 'atypical cells' can be dysplastic cells or XXXXXXX malignant cells.
As you have mentioned that you have had breast cancer in past and currently you are having irregular lung nodule and thyroid nodule, the possibility of metastasis from breast cancer needs to be ruled out.
These nodules could be benign lesions of lung and thyroid too but possibility of malignancy - whether primary or metastatic from breast carcinoma needs to be ruled out.

Please specify which nodule - lung or thyroid is reading 'atypical cells'.
And you need to consult your oncologist at the earliest.

Thanks and take care
Dr Shailja Puri

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad