Radial Scars
Radial scars are also called complex sclerosing lesions. They¡¯re most often found when a breast biopsy is done for some other reason. Sometimes radial scars look like a distortion of the normal breast tissue on a mammogram.
What are radial scars?
Radial scars are not really scars, but they look like scars when seen under a microscope. They don't usually cause symptoms. They are important because if they are large enough, they may look like cancer on an imaging test such as a mammogram, or even on a biopsy.
How do radial scars affect your risk for breast cancer?
Radial scars seem to be linked to a slight increase in breast cancer risk.
Do radial scars need to be treated?
Doctors might recommend surgery to remove radial scars that are found on a needle biopsy. Watching them closely using imaging tests to make sure they aren¡¯t growing or changing might be another option.
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Developed by the ÌÇÐÄTV¹ÙÍø Cancer Society medical and editorial content team with medical review and contribution by the ÌÇÐÄTV¹ÙÍø Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
ÌÇÐÄTV¹ÙÍø Society of Breast Surgeons. Resource Guide: Surgical Management of Benign or High-Risk Lesions. 2024. Accessed at https://www.breastsurgeons.org/docs/statements/asbrs-high-risk-lesions.pdf on March 13, 2026.
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Lv M, Zhu X, Zhong S, et al. Radial scars and subsequent breast cancer risk: A meta-analysis. PLoS ONE. 2014:9(7):e102503.
Matrai C, D'Alfonso TM, Pharmer L, et al. Advocating nonsurgical management of patients with small, incidental radial scars at the time of needle core biopsy: A study of 77 cases. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2015;139:1137-1142.
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Last Revised: May 26, 2026
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