According to Robert Shmerling, M.D., Harvard Health Publications, there is a fine line between what can be a cancerous cell and a benign cell. In his article, Cancer's Fine Line, Dr. Shmerling states that even trained pathologists can have trouble determining whether or not the abnormality is cancerous.
My daughter has been suffering from some sort of lymphoma and fibrous cysts in her breast and on her throat since she was 17. We don't have a history of breast cancer or lymphoma in our family, so this condition is throwing us all for a loop. My fear is that she could be given a clean bill of health, when there may actually be something more insidious hiding under that benign tissue that had been sampled. This falls in line with one of the several "Myths and Misconceptions" that Dr. Shmerling lists.