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Breast Diseases
URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/breastdiseases.html

Breast Diseases

On this page

Basics

  • Summary
  • Start Here
  • Diagnosis and Tests

Learn More

  • Specifics

See, Play and Learn

  • Images

Research

  • Clinical Trials
  • Journal Articles

Resources

  • Find an Expert

For You

  • Teenagers
  • Patient Handouts

Summary

What are breast diseases?

Breast diseases include various conditions and changes in your breast. Most women experience breast changes at some time. Your age, hormone levels, and medicines you take may cause lumps, bumps, and discharges of fluids that are not breast milk.

Although many women fear cancer, most breast changes are benign, meaning they are not cancer. These breast changes are known as benign breast disease. See your health care provider if you have a breast lump, pain, discharge, or skin irritation. Minor and serious breast problems often have similar symptoms and may need treatment.

Common breast changes and conditions can include:

  • Fibrocystic breast changes can include lumpiness, thickening, and swelling, often just before your period. Your breasts may feel painful, swollen, or tender.
  • Cysts are fluid-filled lumps that may be tender.
  • Fibroadenomas are solid, round, rubbery lumps that easily move when pushed, occurring most in younger women.
  • Intraductal papillomas are wart-like benign tumors that grow in the milk duct of the breast.
  • Blocked milk ducts.
  • Milk production when you're not breastfeeding.

What are the symptoms of breast disease?

Symptoms depend on the type of breast disease. Benign breast diseases may not have any symptoms, or they could include:

  • A lump or firm feeling in your breast or under your arm
  • A change in the size or shape of your breast
  • Nipple discharge
  • Skin changes such as itching, redness or darkening, dimples, scaling, or puckering on your breast or nipple
  • Painful, swollen, or tender breasts

See your provider if you're noticing any of these symptoms or other unusual changes. Some symptoms may be warning signs or symptoms of breast cancer.

How are breast diseases diagnosed?

Some breast changes may be felt or seen. You may notice a change in your breast, or your provider may notice it during a clinical breast exam. Other breast changes may only be found during a screening mammogram or other imaging tests such as an MRI or ultrasound. Your provider may also recommend a breast biopsy to check a suspicious change in your breast.

What are the treatments for breast disease?

Some benign breast changes may increase your risk of breast cancer in the future and may need treatment now. Treatment depends on the type of breast disease that you have. Some breast changes may go away without treatment, while others may require monitoring, biopsy, or surgery.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Start Here

  • Breast Health: Follow-up After an Abnormal Mammogram From the National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
  • Facts for Life: Benign Breast Conditions (Susan G. Komen for the Cure) - PDF
  • Non-Cancerous Breast Conditions (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

  • Breast Biopsy From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
  • Breast Cyst Aspiration (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
  • Breast Lump or Breast Changes: Early Evaluation Is Essential (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
  • Breast Ultrasound (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
  • Galactography (Ductography) Video (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
  • Needle Biopsy (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Specifics

  • Adenosis of the Breast (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
  • Breast Calcifications (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
  • Breast Cysts (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
  • Breast Lumps (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Breast Pain (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
  • Breast Rash (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
  • Fat Necrosis and Oil Cysts in the Breast (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
  • Fibrocystic Changes in the Breast (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
  • Galactorrhea (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
  • Hyperplasia of the Breast (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
  • Lobular Carcinoma In Situ (LCIS) (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
  • Mammary Duct Ectasia (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
  • Mastitis (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
  • Nipple Discharge (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Images

  • Nipple Dermatitis (VisualDX)
  • Supernumerary Nipple (VisualDX)

Clinical Trials

  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Breast Diseases From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health)
  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Gynecomastia From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health)
  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Mastitis From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health)
  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Mastodynia From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

  • Article: Evaluation of the efficacy, prognosis and safety of dexamethasone in the...
  • Article: East Midlands Breast Pain Pathway: An Evaluation of Community Breast Pain...
  • Article: Clinical effect of ultrasound-guided microwave ablation in the treatment of 60...
  • Breast Diseases -- see more articles

Find an Expert

  • American Cancer Society
  • Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health Also in Spanish
  • How to Find Find an Ob-Gyn (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)
  • National Cancer Institute From the National Institutes of Health Also in Spanish

Teenagers

  • Gynecomastia (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
  • Why Are My Breasts Different Sizes? (Nemours Foundation)
  • Why Are My Breasts Sore? (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

  • Breast biopsy - ultrasound (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Breast biopsy -- stereotactic (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Breast enlargement in males (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Breast infection (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Breast lump (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Breast MRI scan (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Breast pain (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Breast self-exam (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Breast skin and nipple changes (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Fibroadenoma of the breast (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Fibrocystic breasts (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Intraductal papilloma (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Nipple discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Premenstrual breast changes (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Topic Image

Breast Diseases

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

  • Aging changes in the breast
  • Breast biopsy - ultrasound
  • Breast biopsy -- stereotactic
  • Breast enlargement in males
  • Breast infection
  • Breast lump
  • Breast lump removal - series
  • Breast MRI scan
  • Breast pain
  • Breast self-exam
  • Breast skin and nipple changes
  • Breast ultrasound
  • Fibroadenoma of the breast
  • Fibrocystic breasts
  • Intraductal papilloma
  • Nipple discharge
  • Premenstrual breast changes
  • Subareolar abscess
  • Supernumerary nipples
  • Transillumination

Related Health Topics

  • Breast Cancer
  • Mammography

Other Languages

Find health information in languages other than English on Breast Diseases

NIH MedlinePlus Magazine

  • My Mammogram Was "Abnormal" What Do I do Next?

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