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Breast Problems - Topic Overview
Breast lumps or changes are a common health worry for most women. Women may have many kinds of breast lumps and other breast changes throughout their lives, including changes that occur with menstrual periods, pregnancy, and aging. Most breast lumps and breast changes are normal.
See a picture of the
breast anatomy
.
Common, noncancerous (benign) breast changes include:
- Sacs filled with fluids (cysts).
- Generalized breast lumpiness.
- Painless, movable, and firm round lumps (fibroadenomas).
- Damaged fatty tissue (fat necrosis).
- Growths inside the ducts (intraductal papillomas).
- Enlargement of lymph nodes in the breast.
- Breast pain (mastalgia).
- Breast infections (mastitis) or abscesses.
- Nipple discharge.
- Inflamed blood vessels (thrombophlebitis).
Breast development is the first sign of puberty in young girls. Usually, breasts begin as small, tender bumps under one or both nipples that will get bigger over the next few years. It is not unusual for one breast to be larger than the other or for one side to develop before the other. A girl may worry that a lump under the nipple is abnormal or a sign of a serious medical problem when it is a part of normal breast development.
In men, enlargement of male breast tissue (gynecomastia) is a noncancerous breast change. During puberty, young men commonly have smooth, round lumps or "breast buds" under the nipple. These develop because of rapid changes in hormone levels. They may last up to 2 years, but they tend to go away within the first year.
Many women with breast pain or breast lumps worry about breast cancer. The incidence of breast cancer in the United States has gradually increased during the past 30 years and is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women. Breast cancer represents approximately 30% of new cancer diagnosed in women. Approximately 1 man gets breast cancer for every 100 cases of breast cancer in women.
The earlier breast cancer is detected, the more easily and successfully it can be treated.
There are 2 methods of early detection:
- Clinical breast examination (CBE). During your routine physical examination, your doctor may do a clinical breast examination. During a CBE, your doctor will carefully feel your breasts and under your arms to check for lumps or other unusual changes.
- Mammogram. A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast that can often find tumors that are too small for you or your doctor to feel. Most women should begin having mammograms at the age of 40. If you are younger than age 40 and have risk factors for breast cancer, talk with your doctor about starting screening before age 40.
Breast self-examination (BSE) involves checking your breasts for lumps or changes while standing and lying in different positions and while looking at your breasts in a mirror. Once you know what your breasts normally look and feel like, any new lump or change in appearance should be evaluated by a doctor. Most breast problems or changes are not caused by cancer. However, BSE should not be used in place of clinical breast examination and mammography. Studies have not shown that BSE alone reduces the number of deaths from breast cancer.
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise
Breast Problems Topics
ENABLEX is a prescription medicine used in adults to treat the following symptoms due to a condition called overactive bladder:
- · having a strong need to go to the bathroom right away (also called "urgency")
- · leaks or wetting accidents (also called "urinary incontinence")
- · having to go to the bathroom too often (also called "urinary frequency")
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
You should not take once-daily ENABLEX if you have certain types of stomach problems, glaucoma, or have trouble emptying your bladder. Side effects of ENBLEX include blurred vision, and more commonly dry mouth, constipation, indigestion, and abdominal pain. Use caution when doing certain activities until you know how ENBALEX affects you.
VIVELLE-DOT (estradiol transdermal system) IS AVAILABLE BY PRESCRPTION ONLY.
INDICATION
Vivelle-Dot is used after menopause to: reduce moderate to severe hot flashes; treat moderate to severe dryness, itching and burning in or around the vagina; help reduce your chances of getting osteoporosis (thin weak bones); and treat certain conditions in which a young woman's ovaries do not produce enough estrogens naturally. Vivelle-Dot 0.025 mg/day is only used to prevent osteoporosis from menopause. If you use Vivelle-Dot only to treat your dryness, itching, and burning in and around your vagina or if you use Vivelle-Dot only to prevent osteoporosis from menopause, talk with your healthcare professional about whether a different treatment or medicine without estrogens might be better for you.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Estrogens increase the chances of getting cancer of the uterus (womb). Report any unusual vaginal bleeding right away while you are taking estrogens. Vaginal bleeding after menopause may be a warning sign of cancer of the uterus (womb).
Do not use estrogens with or without progestins to prevent heart disease, heart attacks, or strokes. Using estrogens with or without progestins may increase your chances of getting heart attacks, strokes, breast cancer, and blood clots. Using estrogens with progestins may increase your risk of dementia (decline in memory and thinking skills).
Vivelle-Dot should not be used if you have unusual vaginal bleeding; currently have or have had certain cancers, including cancer of the breast or uterus; had a stroke or heart attack in the recent past (for example, in the past year); currently have or have had blood clots; currently have or have had liver problems; or think you may be, or know that you are, pregnant.
The most common side effects that may occur with Vivelle-Dot are headache, breast tenderness, and back pain.
You and your healthcare professional should talk regularly about whether you still need treatment with Vivelle-Dot.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see Full Prescribing Information for Vivelle-Dot.
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