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Breast disease is not limited to women and can include a variety of ailments, including benign changes like fibrocystic breast disease and malignant forms like breast cancer and Paget’s disease. Breast self-exams and consulting a doctor for abnormalities are important.
A number of diseases can involve the breasts. When people think of breast disease, they often visualize breast cancer, but a wide variety of other ailments can appear in the breast, and breast disease isn’t limited to women. Due to cancer concerns, many people seek treatment for breast disease as they fear it may be an early sign of cancer; it’s not uncommon for people to find breast lumps that are totally benign or non-cancerous.
Breast dysplasia is an umbrella term for breast disease that involves benign changes to the breast. Fibrocystic breast disease is one example of a condition that falls under this umbrella. Women with fibrocystic breast disease experience changes in their breasts that tend to follow the menstrual cycle, including the development of lumps, pain, and tenderness. Fibroadenomas are benign tumors that appear as lumps in the breast, and women can also develop breast hyperplasia, in which cells begin to multiply more rapidly than normal. Hyperplasia is not necessarily malignant; only a pathology examination of the cells can determine how dangerous it can be.
Some other examples of breast disease include galactorrhea, in which people who are not pregnant or breastfeeding start producing milk and more general nipple discharge, which can occur on their own or in association with another condition. In patients with sclerosing adenosis, benign growths appear in the breast lobules, while people with intraductal papilloma develop small, benign nodules in the breast ducts. Menopausal women can develop a type of breast disease known as mammary duct ectasia, in which the ducts in the breast are blocked.
Breast cancer is an example of a malignant form of breast disease. Another malignant condition is Paget’s disease of the breast, in which malignant cells start growing in the nipple. This condition can appear as a precursor to breast cancer or as a standalone condition. Women can also develop mastitis, a breast infection and fat necrosis, a condition more common in women with large breasts in which breast tissue becomes damaged and begins to die. Another type of breast disease is a breast cyst, a small, fluid-filled sac in the breast.
Congenital anomalies aren’t necessarily treated as diseases, but they can cause symptoms that can mimic or obscure the signs of breast disease. Some people, for example, have inverted or misshapen nipples, and others have extra nipples or breasts.
Concern about cancers has raised awareness of the need for breast self-exams, in which people examine their breasts on a monthly basis for any signs of changes. It is important to see a doctor if you feel any lumps or abnormalities, or if a breast changes shape, to determine what is causing the abnormality and to treat it, if necessary.
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