need help with your account or subscription? click here to email us (or see the contact page)
join telegramNEW! discord
jump to exam page:
search for anything โ‹… score predictor (โ€œpredict me!โ€)

Retired NBME 22 Answers

nbme22/Block 2/Question#15 (reveal difficulty score)
A 62-year-old woman comes to the physician 3 ...
Carcinoma of the breast ๐Ÿ” / ๐Ÿ“บ / ๐ŸŒณ / ๐Ÿ“–
tags:

 Login (or register) to see more


 +6  upvote downvote
submitted by โˆ—usmleuser007(464)
get full access to all content โ‹… pick a username

Per Pathoma:

Most common in postmenopausal women:

1) fibrocystic changes, intraductal papilloma, Fibroadenoma

More likely in postmenopausal women: 1) phyllodes tumor (fibroadenoma-like tumor) 2) Breast cancers increased risk d/t 1) increased age, duration of estrogen throughout life (early menarche, late menopause, obesity) 2) Atypical hyperplasia 3) First degree relatives

Question states presents it as: a) 2cm firm, nontender mass b) no axillary lymphadenopathy or nipple discharge c) extremly radiodense mass with irregular margins clustered irregular microcalcifications

so what can it be: 1) DICS = does not usually produce mass

2) Comedo type = high- grade cells with necrosis & dystrophic calcifications at center of duct

3) Paget Disease = involves the skin of the nipple (underlying carcinoma)

4) IDC = a) forms duct-like structures (>80% of cases) b) mass detected by physical examination (check) c) usually 1cm or greater (check) d) Desmoplastic stroma = connective tissue growing with tumor (supports tumor) ~~~ (check -- irregular margins) e) Medullary Carcinome (IDC) = mimics fibroadenoma

5) LCIS & ILC = DO NOT produce calcifications or mass a) ILC - cells have "single-file pattern" think of a beaded necklace and you cut it in middle (lack E-cadherin)

get full access to all content โ‹… pick a username
usmleuser007  correction Most common in premenopausal women: 1) fibrocystic changes, intraductal papilloma, Fibroadenoma +4



 +4  upvote downvote
submitted by โˆ—joker4eva76(31)
get full access to all content โ‹… pick a username

Could also use the patient's age to make the differential. Age is a risk factor related to breast cancer (common in post-menopausal women, unless there's a history of breast cancer in the family).

Fibrocystic changes and fibroadenomas are usually common in premenopausal women.

No discharge noted, so it's not an intraductal papilloma.

get full access to all content โ‹… pick a username
yotsubato  Intraductal papillomas are also under the areola +5



 +4  upvote downvote
submitted by โˆ—paperbackwriter(161)
get full access to all content โ‹… pick a username

In addition to what everyone else said, they went out of their way to use the word "irregular" TWICE. Maybe simple-minded of me, but as far as I understand benign shtuff is rarely irregular.

get full access to all content โ‹… pick a username



 +1  upvote downvote
submitted by airhead5(2)
get full access to all content โ‹… pick a username

The answer is carcinoma of the breast. I get that, but Iโ€™m having trouble figuring out which Carcinoma of Breast it is. Iโ€™m stuck between DCIS, and Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. Iโ€™m leaning towards Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, just because itโ€™s (1) most common and (2) the mass with irregular margins in clusters sounds like it could be โ€˜stellate infiltrationโ€™, seen in Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. But Iโ€™m not sure. Can anyone help?

get full access to all content โ‹… pick a username
liverdietrying  There is not enough information in the question stem to determine what kind of cancer it is. You would need a biopsy and histology information to determine that. However, this is definitely not DCIS since there *is* a mass. DCIS usually just shows up as small microcalcifications on XR (Iโ€™d google an image so you can see it). All the words they use here describe an invasive cancerous scary mass -- what kind of cancer canโ€™t be known until they biopsy it! +2



 +0  upvote downvote
submitted by โˆ—seagull(1933)
get full access to all content โ‹… pick a username

The mass is in the outer upper quadrant, this is why it want DCIS. Nice and simple

get full access to all content โ‹… pick a username
seagull  *wasn't +1



 +0  upvote downvote
submitted by โˆ—j000(17)
get full access to all content โ‹… pick a username

this is not mentioned in FA or pathoma, but according to Amboss:

In invasive ductal carcinoma, the mammography finding shows "star-shaped lesion occurs due to clustered microcalcifications of the surrounding tissue."

It is not DCIS because DCIS doesn't produce a mass It is not fibroadenoma (it is most common in women <35) It is not fibrocystic changes (premenopausal women 20-50, often bilateral, tender)

get full access to all content โ‹… pick a username



 +0  upvote downvote
submitted by โˆ—oznefu(22)
get full access to all content โ‹… pick a username

What are the words that point to Carcinoma rather than Fibrocystic or Fibroadenoma or Fat Necrosis (not an answer)?

Those can have masses and calcifications right? Is it only the irregular margins?

get full access to all content โ‹… pick a username
mnemonia  Fibrocystic changes doesnโ€™t technically encompass sclerosing adenosis, which is the one where you would get calcifications. Cysts and fibrosis donโ€™t usually present with calcifications. Fat necrosis Iโ€™m sure they would give history of trauma in the stem. +
mnemonia  Calcifications = fat necrosis, sclerosing adenosis, and DCIS/IDC. Microcalcifications specifically I would venture to say is a buzzword ductal carcinoma specifically. Either way, of these 3, only cancer is an answer choice. +1



 -1  upvote downvote
submitted by โˆ—mdmikek89(6)
get full access to all content โ‹… pick a username

Y'all need some Amboss in your lives.

This is a benign or malignant question.

focal mass or density

irregular margins

calcifications

= malignant = carcinoma

CLICK AND GTFO

get full access to all content โ‹… pick a username



Must-See Comments from nbme22

sacredazn on Unrearranged immunoglobulin gene
seagull on Decreased binding of RNA polymerase
seagull on Anticholinergic
mcl on Area labeled โ€˜Dโ€™
liverdietrying on Release of stored thyroid hormone from a ...
kernicterusthefrog on Displacement
keycompany on Negative nitrogen balance
joha961 on Displacement
imgdoc on Area labeled โ€˜Cโ€™ (Abducens nucleus, right)
alwaysanonymous on 25 mL/cm H2O
drdoom on 1 in 600
seagull on Glutamine
yotsubato on Phase variation
bubbles on Acute retroviral infection

search for anything NEW!