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URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/breastdiseases.html
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Basics
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Research
Resources
For You
Summary
Most women experience breast changes at some time. Your age, hormone levels, and medicines you take may cause lumps, bumps, and discharges (fluids that are not breast milk).
If you have a breast lump, pain, discharge or skin irritation, see your health care provider. Minor and serious breast problems have similar symptoms. Although many women fear cancer, most breast problems are not cancer.
Some common breast changes are:
- Fibrocystic breast changes - lumpiness, thickening and swelling, often just before a woman's period
- Cysts - fluid-filled lumps
- Fibroadenomas - solid, round, rubbery lumps that move easily when pushed, occurring most in younger women
- Intraductal papillomas - growths similar to warts near the nipple
- Blocked milk ducts
- Milk production when a woman is not breastfeeding
NIH: National Cancer Institute
-
Breast Health: Follow-up After an Abnormal Mammogram
(National Cancer Institute)
Also in Spanish
- Facts for Life: Benign Breast Conditions (Susan G. Komen for the Cure) - PDF Also in Spanish
- Non-Cancerous Breast Conditions (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
Diagnosis and Tests
-
Breast Biopsy
(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)
(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)
- 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
(National Institutes of Health)
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Gynecomastia
(National Institutes of Health)
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Mastitis
(National Institutes of Health)
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Mastodynia
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Infertility treatments and risk of breast benign diseases: a case‒control study.
- Article: Discrimination Model Construction for Non-Lactational Mastitis and Breast Cancer Based on...
- Article: Modulatory Effects of Regulated Cell Death: An Innovative Preventive Approach for...
- 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
Also in Spanish
Teenagers
- Gynecomastia (For Teens) (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
The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.