OBJECTIVES: Primary * Determine the incidence of mild or severe cellular atypia in nipple aspirate fluid of healthy women at moderate to high risk of developing breast cancer, defined by family history or prior atypical biopsy. Secondary * Correlate cellular atypia with breast cancer, biochemical tumor markers, growth factors, and genetic and protein markers in these participants. * Determine cancer risk and incidence utilizing these methods of screening in these participants. * Observe the natural history of atypia in these participants over a total of 10 years. * Determine whether these techniques may serve as supplementary tools in future screening of these participants. OUTLINE: Participants under 50 years of age undergo nipple aspiration every twelve months for 3 years. Participants over 50 years of age undergo nipple aspiration every 18 months for 4.5 years. Participants with significant cellular atypia in nipple aspirate fluid undergo ductal lavage and endoscopy. Participants are followed annually for a total of 10 years. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 1,000 participants will be accrued for this study within approximately 4 years.
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Significant family history or prior atypical biopsy indicative of a moderate or high risk of developing breast cancer * No concurrent inflammatory breast cancer * Hormone receptor status: * Not specified PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age * 18 to 64 Sex * Female Menopausal Status * Premenopausal or postmenopausal Performance status * Not specified Life expectancy * Not specified Hematopoietic * Not specified Hepatic * Not specified Renal * Not specified Other * No prior allergy to EMLA cream or lidocaine * No severe illness that would preclude study participation * No mental illness or handicap that would preclude study compliance * No concurrent active infection or inflammation in the breast being studied * Not unconscious * Not pregnant * No nursing within the past 12 months PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy * Not specified Chemotherapy * Not specified Endocrine therapy * Not specified Radiotherapy * Not specified Surgery * No prior subareolar surgery (e.g., microdochectomy or major duct excision) that may disrupt the ductal systems within 2 cm of the nipple * No prior breast implantation on proposed lavage side