Common Breast Conditions That Aren’t Breast Cancer
It’s crucial to learn the signs and pay attention.
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Check on It - October is all about breast cancer awareness, but there are lots of other conditions that you can catch early if you make time for regular breast self-exams and clinical exams. And because some of them impact your cancer risk, it’s crucial to learn the signs. According to the American Cancer Society, these are some of the most common conditions you can spot when you pay attention to the girls. By Kenrya Rankin Naasel (Photo: Steve Prezant/Corbis)
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Adenosis - With adenosis, the lobules (that’s where the milk-making cells live) are enlarged and contain more glands than usual. If the lobules are especially close together, it can cause a lump that you can feel. Final diagnosis is ultimately via biopsy. Link to cancer risk: Typically none, but some studies have shown that women with sclerosing adenosis (where the lobules are distorted by fibrous tissue) have 1.5 to 2 times the risk of developing breast cancer. (Photo: Jack Hollingsworth/Blend Images/Corbis)
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Fat Necrosis + Oil Cysts - When breast tissue is damaged — as the result of injury, surgery or radiation — it can experience these changes. Fat necrosis is when the fatty tissue is replaced by firm scar tissue as it heals. But sometimes fat cells die and release their contents, which creates a sac of greasy fluid called an oil cyst. They are most common in women with large breasts. Link to cancer risk: None. (Photo: Kate Kunz/Corbis)
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Fibroadenomas - These are tumors made up of connective and glandular tissue, and they are most common in women in their 20s and 30s, especially those who started using birth control pills before turning 20. When they are large enough to feel, they resemble a marble that you can move around under the skin. If they grow large enough to change the shape of the breast, they are typically removed. Link to cancer risk: 1.5 to 2 times increased risk. (Photo: Tetra Images/Tetra Images/Corbis)
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Fibrosis + Simple Cysts - These are changes in breast tissue that can occur over time. Fibrosis refers to scar-like tissue, while cysts are fluid-filled sacs. Symptoms include breast lumps, swelling, and tenderness or pain, and they worsen just before the period starts. They are usually diagnosed by symptoms alone. While they typically don’t require any treatment, a heating pad and ibuprofen can go a long way toward easing discomfort. Link to cancer risk: None. (Photo: Ingram Publishing / Getty Images)
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Hyperplasia - This is when the cells lining the ducts or lobules in the breasts grow too fast. It doesn’t typically cause a lump, but it can be seen on a mammogram and diagnosed via biopsy. Link to cancer risk: Mild hyperplasia doesn’t impact cancer risk. But moderate hyperplasia comes with a 1.5 to 2 times increase of risk, and atypical hyperplasia multiplies risk by 3.5 to 5 times. (Photo: Thomas Barwick/Getty Images)
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Intraductal Papillomas - These wart-like growths occur in the breast ducts, and are often the reason behind clear or bloody nipple discharge. Ductograms are usually needed to find them, and they are removed when spotted. Link to cancer risk: Having a single papilloma isn’t linked to an increased risk, but multiple ones are. (Photo: Dreampictures/Image Source/Corbis)