La-Radio 893

4.5 (2 votes)

Healthcare Prof:

A decrease in breast density, or the proportion of fibroglandular tissue depicted on the mammogram image, over several years is associated with decreased danger of breast cancer, researchers from the Mayo Clinic campus in Minnesota report at the American Association for Cancer Analysis (AACR) 101st Annual Meeting 2010.

The researchers identified a 28 percent reduced risk of creating breast cancer in women whose breasts decreased in density, as seen from two different mammograms taken an average of six years apart, compared to women whose breast density did not change.

Two measures of breast density could, therefore, present additional info for assessing breast cancer danger, says the study’s lead investigator, Celine Vachon, Ph.D., an associate professor of epidemiology. Dr. Vachon adds, however, that this details is not ready for use in clinical practice to inform breast cancer danger. “Replication of these findings in other studies is going to be crucial,” she says. “Also, improved and standardized measurements of breast density are essential for the assessment of adjustments in density.”

The present assessment available in most clinical settings is BI-RADS, Breast Imaging-Reporting and Information System, which is relatively unsophisticated when it comes to measuring breast density and was not intended for this purpose, Dr. Vachon says. “There is a lot of ongoing work aimed at improving measures of density, so that situation really should change,” she adds.

This study was drawn from the Mammography Wellness Study, which enrolled 19,924 females who were cost-free of breast cancer, had screening mammograms performed at Mayo Clinic in between 2003 and 2006 and resided in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin. From this large group, the researchers selected participants who had at least 1 additional screening mammogram prior to enrollment, and then looked at clinic and tumor registries in the three Midwestern states to determine if any of these females developed breast cancer following enrolling inside the study.

Measures of mammographic density were obtained from the two mammograms, an average of six years apart, for the approximately 1,900 girls randomly sampled from the cohort, and from all 219 individuals who had been diagnosed with breast cancer throughout follow-up. In the cancer-free group, 38.6 percent of women had a reduce in breast density, 50.four percent stayed the same, and 11 percent showed an increase in breast density. In girls who developed breast cancer, the percentages had been 37, 51 and 12, respectively.

Women who developed breast cancer were much less likely to experience a reduce in density in a second mammogram, says Dr. Vachon. Right after adjusting for other potential factors that contribute to breast cancer development, like age, body mass index, postmenopausal hormones, postmenopausal status, in addition to baseline breast density, the researchers located that ladies who decreased one BI-RADS category or a lot more more than an average of six years were at 28 percent reduced risk of creating breast cancer, compared to ladies whose density was unchanged.

“We know that breast density can change with time, as evidenced by decreases seen with women going through menopause or using the breast cancer preventive drug tamoxifen and increases seen with postmenopausal hormone therapy use. Our outcomes suggest that decreases in density could translate to decreased breast cancer danger,” Dr. Vachon says.

The study was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Well being.

About Mayo Clinic

For more than 100 years, millions of people from all walks of life have identified answers at Mayo Clinic. These patients tell us they leave Mayo Clinic with peace of mind knowing they received care from the world’s leading professionals. Mayo Clinic will be the first and largest integrated, not-for-profit group practice in the globe. At Mayo Clinic, a team of specialists is assembled to take the time to listen, understand and care for patients’ well being troubles and concerns. These teams draw from much more than 3,700 physicians and scientists and 50,100 allied staff that function at Mayo Clinic’s campuses in Minnesota, Florida, and Arizona; and community-based providers in far more than 70 locations in southern Minnesota, western Wisconsin and northeast Iowa. These locations treat more than half a million people each year. To best serve patients, Mayo Clinic works with many insurance businesses, does not demand a physician referral in most cases and is an in-network provider for millions of people.

Source: Mayo Clinic

4.5 (2 votes)

Healthcare Prof:

Reported mid-life improve in body mass index (BMI) may lead to substantially higher danger of postmenopausal breast cancer, based on outcomes of a prospective cohort study presented at the American Association for Cancer Investigation 101st Annual Meeting 2010.

In previous studies, excess weight has been linked with elevated threat of postmenopausal breast cancer. Scientists have speculated that in postmenopausal ladies, estrogen produced in adipose tissue, or body fat, could promote breast cell proliferation. Relatively few studies have looked specifically at boost in BMI and its timing in relation to postmenopausal breast cancer danger, which this study investigated.

The researchers analyzed data from 72,007 ladies within the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial cohort, who were 55 to 74 years old at study entry. The analysis included 3,677 situations of postmenopausal breast cancer, which makes this 1 of the larger studies of its type, based on the researchers.

The researchers observed the strongest associations amongst ladies who had never utilized menopausal hormone therapy; results had been shown only for this group of girls.

“Compared with females who maintained approximately the same BMI, those who had an boost of five kg/m2 or much more between age 20 and study entry had a nearly twofold increased danger of breast cancer,” said Laura Sue, M.P.H., a cancer investigation fellow at the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

Results showed that nearly 57 percent of the study population’s BMI increased 5 kg/m2 or more between age 20 and study entry. A BMI enhance of 5 kg/m2 is equivalent to a woman of average height, 5’4″, gaining approximately 30 pounds.

Women who reported a BMI increase of 5 kg/m2 or more in between age 20 and 50 had been at an 88 percent elevated risk of creating postmenopausal breast cancer, compared with women who reported a stable BMI. For ladies who reported a BMI increase of five kg/m2 or more between age 50 and study entry, danger elevated 56 percent, compared with girls who maintained BMI. BMI gain both just before and right after age 50 independently contribute to increased danger of postmenopausal breast cancer.

Source: American Association for Cancer Analysis (AACR)

Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced with out permission of Medical News Today

4.8 (five votes)

Healthcare Prof:

4 (two votes)

WASHINGTON D.C. – New findings identify a possible role for nab-paclitaxel (AbraxaneR for Injectable Suspension) in tandem with bevacizumab for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer, a notoriously clinically challenging subtype of breast cancer.

The information, which were released in the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Study (AACR), demonstrated high sensitivity of HCC1806-RR to the nab-paclitaxel/bevacizumab combination. HCC1806-RR can be a new triple-negative breast cancer model which is double-tagged with Red Fluorescent Protein and Renilla luciferase.

“Our observations recommend that this therapy may substantially increase wellness outcomes in females with triple-negative breast cancers,” Sophia Ran, PhD, using the department of medical microbiology, immunology and cell biology at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield, said.

Tumors that lack estrogen, progesterone, and her2/nu (triple-negative) are amongst the most aggressive therapy-resistant and highly metastatic subtypes of breast cancer. Most presently available models do not recapitulate expression profile of triple-negative breast cancer, thus making it difficult to create new remedies to target this tumor type.

Dr. Ran reported findings from a pre-clinical study in which mice bearing orthotopic HCC1806-RR tumors of 150 mm3 in size were treated with saline, bevacizumab (four mg/kg i.p. twice a week, for 10 weeks), nab-paclitaxel (10 mg/kg, i.v., qdx5), or with combined nab-paclitaxel and bevacizumab.

The study found that:50 percent of mice in the combination therapy group had complete regression of primary tumors and metastases at regional and distant sites. Nab-paclitaxel plus bevacizumab inhibited tumor growth by 100%.Nab-paclitaxel plus bevacizumab decreased the incidence of lymph node and lung metastases by 50% and 87%, respectively. In a second pre-clinical study, a nab-paclitaxel and bevacizumab combination therapy bolstered anti-tumor activity in a brand new model of inflammatory breast cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer is 1 of the most lethal forms of breast cancer having a five-year survival of 40%.

The studies were sponsored by Abraxis Bioscience in Los Angeles.

Written by Jill Stein
Jill Stein is actually a Paris-based freelance medical writer.
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without having permission of Medical News These days

Healthcare Prof:

1 (1 votes)

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and also the College of American Pathologists (CAP) right now issued a joint guideline aimed at improving the accuracy of immunohistochemistry (IHC) testing for the expression status of estrogen (ER) and progesterone receptors (PgR) in breast cancer. The two groups conducted a systematic review of medical investigation literature in partnership with Cancer Care Ontario to develop the recommendations. The guideline is getting published in the April 19 concerns of ASCO’s Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO) along with the CAP’s Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine.

As many as two-thirds of breast cancers are ER and/or PgR-positive with their growth influenced by activation of the estrogen receptor pathway. The purpose of ER/PgR testing is to identify breast cancer patients whose tumors express ER and/or PgR (hormone receptor-positive), and who must therefore be deemed candidates for remedy with endocrine therapies, which may include options like tamoxifen, an aromatase inhibitor, and/or suppression of ovarian function, as appropriate. These remedies can substantially improve survival in patients with hormone receptor-positive invasive breast cancer. Immunohistochemistry is an established assay to determine the ER/PgR status of a tumor by measuring protein amounts of ER and PgR in breast cancer cells. However, up to 10-20 percent of IHC test results throughout the globe might be inaccurate (false-positive or false-negative).

“There is clearly a should accurately identify breast cancer subtypes as ER and/or PgR-positive to support us identify those patients most most likely to benefit from endocrine therapy and minimize the threat of potentially denying effective and life-saving therapy to patients incorrectly labeled as getting ER/PgR-negative invasive disease, even though allowing patients with true ER/PgR-negative illness to be regarded as for other therapies.” stated Antonio C. Wolff, MD, FACP, co-chair of the ASCO/CAP Hormone Receptor Testing in Breast Cancer Panel and associate professor of oncology at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The guideline recommends the following:

-Testing ER and PgR status on all newly diagnosed invasive breast cancers (primary site and/or metastatic site), and whenever appropriate, repeat testing in patients with a recognized breast cancer diagnosis who now present having a local or distant recurrence. -Establishing uniform testing measures that focus on proven, reliable and reproducible assays and procedures.

-Having testing laboratories validate their assays against existing and clinically validated tests. Outcomes should agree at least 90 percent of the time with those of the clinically validated assays for positive receptor status and at least 95 percent for negative receptor status.

-Transporting breast tissue specimens from the operating room to the pathology laboratory as soon as they’re available for gross assessment. The time from tumor removal to initiation of fixation should be kept to one hour or much less. Fixation of the sample in neutral buffered formalin must extend for at least 6 hours and no longer than 72 hours.

-Performing ER and PgR testing in a CAP-accredited laboratory or in a laboratory that meets the accreditation requirements spelled out inside the guideline. The CAP will require that every accredited lab performing testing participate in a mandatory proficiency testing program.

-Considering an ER and PgR test performed by an IHC assay as positive if at least 1 percent of the tumor within the sample tests positive, which helps predict whether or not a patient is most likely to benefit with endocrine remedy. The panel recognized that it’s reasonable for oncologists to discuss the pros and cons of endocrine therapy with patients whose tumors contain low levels of ER by IHC (one percent to ten percent weakly positive cells) and to make an informed choice based on available data.

“The main goal of the ASCO/CAP ER/PgR guideline is to improve the accuracy of test outcomes and ensure that patients receive appropriate care like endocrine therapy, as it has the potential to improve survival and save lives. Widespread access to accurate ER/PgR testing is also essential due to the fact breast cancer may be the most common trigger of cancer death in ladies in low and middle-income countries, and most of them have ER and/or PgR-positive illness,” said Dr. Wolff.

According to Elizabeth Hammond, MD, FCAP, co-chair of the ASCO/CAP Hormone Receptor Testing in Breast Cancer Panel, pathologist at Intermountain Healthcare, and professor of pathology at the University of Utah School of Medicine, “Increased attention to simple measures for example the handling of tissue specimens from the moment they’re taken from the patient to when they reach the pathologist, the uniform fixation of specimens, the standardization and validation of lab assays, rigorous reporting procedures, and greater access to treatment interventions have the potential to significantly improve breast cancer outcomes around the world.”

Classifying subtypes of breast cancer by a tumor’s biological characteristics (tumor phenotype) can incorporate whether or not or not it’s hormone (estrogen or progesterone) receptor positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positive, or “triple negative,” lacking receptors for estrogen, progesterone, and HER2. The latter, HER2, plays a role in cancer cell growth and spread and identifies patients that might be regarded as candidates for treatment with anti-HER2 drugs inside the adjuvant or metastatic settings. In 2007, ASCO and the CAP issued clinical practice guideline recommendations to improve HER2 testing accuracy.

About 20 percent of all girls with invasive breast cancer are HER2-positive, meaning they overexpress HER2, and about 15 percent of breast cancers do not express HER2, ER, or PgR receptors (triple-negative). Accurate determination of tumor phenotype is vital to properly select therapy options and individualize treatments.

The ASCO/CAP Panel also expects that the new ER/PgR guideline will foster improved communications amongst cancer specialists and also between patients and their doctors. Since of the availability of effective therapies for patients with hormone-receptor positive illness, the panel chairs encourage ladies who are told to have an ER/PgR-negative breast cancer to discuss the test result with their cancer specialists, which includes their oncologist and pathologist. This conversation would touch on questions like whether the hormone receptor test result is consistent using the overall pathology assessment of the tumor and whether or not the ER/PgR testing was done in a manner that is consistent using the new ASCO/CAP guideline.

The ASCO/CAP Panel chose to particularly focus on IHC assays for ER/PgR testing based on its widespread use, worldwide impact, and large body of evidence available. In the future, the ASCO/CAP Panel may evaluation new approaches and predictive assays to identify patients most likely to benefit from endocrine therapies as new high-level information on validated assays and outcomes become available.

“All medical professionals involved in cancer care want to do the right thing and offer the most correct and appropriate care to their patients. It’s our hope that the ASCO/CAP ER/PgR guideline will facilitate processes at each well being system and institution, so that appropriate measures to make certain accurate predictive biomarker testing (such as ER/PgR) are in place and that breast cancer patients receive the highest high quality care possible,” stated Dr. Hammond.

In conjunction with the publishing of the guideline, ASCO and CAP have developed clinical tools and resources for oncologists and pathologists that summarize the findings and recommendations. These resources include a slide presentation on ASCO’s website and a guideline summary within the Journal of Oncology Practice. In addition, CAP has developed a Breast Predictive Elements Testing Certificate Plan and associated Continuing Medical Education (CME), which will also allow pathologists to gain special expertise within the development and implementation of these tests.

The clinical practice guideline and other resources are available at http://www.asco.org/guidelines/erprand http://www.cap.org/center. ASCO also has developed a corresponding patient guide available on ASCO’s patient website, http://www.cancer.net. Furthermore, a patient resource explaining the new guideline could be identified on CAP’s patient website, http://www.MyBiopsy.org.

Source
ASCO

4 (3 votes)

Healthcare Prof:

5 (three votes)

Article Opinions:1 posts
Eating too considerably fat in pregnancy might be an indulgence that has a less-than-beneficial effect on generations to come, say researchers at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Their distinctive study in rats shows that pregnant females that ate a high fat diet not only increased breast cancer threat in their female daughters but also in that daughter’s offspring – the “granddaughters.” Details of the study will probably be presented at the AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010.

The researchers say they do not know why this risk is passed on by way of two generations, but they believe it occurs through as-yet unknown “epigenetic” adjustments that result in an enhance in terminal end buds inside the breast tissue – an improve that apparently can then be passed on by way of generations. These buds are believed to be the structures exactly where breast cancer can create, and getting far more of these structures seems to increase breast cancer danger, says the study’s lead investigator, Sonia de Assis, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in Leena Hilakivi-Clarke’s laboratory at Lombardi. “That is our theory, but we really do not know how it’s happening – just yet.”

The researchers add that while the grandmother ate a diet that was 43 percent fat, she didn’t eat more calories than a control population of rats, and both her daughters and granddaughters ate a typical chow.

The researchers also discovered that the danger appears to not only extend from mother to daughter and granddaughter, but also from mother to son to granddaughter. As an example, the daughters of male and female rats born from mother rats that ate a lot of fat had an 80 percent chance of developing breast cancer, but the danger was about 69 percent if the granddaughter’s mother or father was born from a rat that ate normally and the other parent came from a high-fat-consuming parent. By contrast, granddaughters of grandmother rats who ate a regular chow had a 50 percent chance of creating breast cancer.

They also studied a different control populations of rats given estradiol- a form of estrogen – and saw no enhance in breast cancer risk in granddaughters. That suggests that the increased estrogen production associated to eating more fat just isn’t the source of the problem, they say.

“The implications from this study are that pregnant mothers need to eat a well balanced diet program due to the fact they could be affecting the future health of their daughters and granddaughters,” says de Assis.

Sonia de Assis reports no potential financial disclosures.

Source:
Karen Mallet
Georgetown University Medical Center

three.6 (5 votes)

Healthcare Prof:

4 (1 votes)

In an update of the 19,490-patient Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene (STAR) P-2 trial in breast cancer prevention, each raloxifene and tamoxifen remain efficient options to stop breast cancer at 81 months of follow-up.

Raloxifene improved its effectiveness against noninvasive breast cancer, triggered drastically much less endometrial cancer and was significantly much less toxic than tamoxifen. Despite the fact that it was slightly less effective against invasive breast cancer, it nonetheless maintained powerful efficacy.

Due towards the late-breaking nature of these information, full outcomes are getting withheld till the trial is presented in the American Association for Cancer Analysis 101st Annual Meeting 2010 for the duration of a special plenary session in Hall D of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center at 10:00 a.m. ET on Monday, April 19, 2010. These results is going to be published simultaneously in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the AACR.

A panel of professionals will likely be obtainable to take questions from the media in room 142 of the convention center at 11:00 a.m. ET on April 19. Reporters who cannot attend in individual can participate by calling in, employing the following details:

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research would be to avoid and remedy cancer. Founded in 1907, the AACR is the world’s oldest and largest professional organization devoted to advancing cancer study. The membership consists of 31,000 simple, translational and clinical researchers; wellness care experts; and cancer survivors and advocates inside the United States and more than 90 other countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress within the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer by way of high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants, investigation fellowship and career development awards. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts far more than 17,000 participants who share the most current discoveries and developments within the field. Special conferences all through the year present novel data across a wide assortment of topics in cancer study, treatment and patient care. The AACR publishes six major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Study; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Study; Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention; and Cancer Prevention Study. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based info and perspectives on progress in cancer study, survivorship and advocacy.

Source: American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)

Healthcare Prof:

4 (1 votes)

Breast pain – there are a number of self help remedies which may help alleviate breast pain, including:A well-fitting support bra – this will help limit movement, resulting in less breast discomfortHeating padsIce packsMassaging the breasts – this can be done with massage oil or diluted essential oils. Massaging may help remove excess fluid, and help break down fibroadenomas. Painkilling topical lotions and gels – they may help alleviate breast pain. Sometimes there may be redness, itching and blistering. Pregnant or breastfeeding women should not use painkilling lotions or gels. Warm bathsWhat Are Breast Lumps?

What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Breast Lumps

What Are The Causes Of Breast Lumps?

How Is A Breast Lump Diagnosed?

What Are The Therapy Possibilities For A Breast Lump?Prescription products for breast pain:Danazol – taken orally. Often very useful in reducing breast pain. This medication may cause some weight gain, heavy periods, muscle cramps and a deepening of the voice. If dosage is reduced for two weeks before menses (menstrual bleeding) these side effects may be significantly reduced or avoided. Gestrinone – taken orally. Also often effective in treating breast pain. This medication increases the risk of developing greasy skin, having much more body hair, acne, bleeding between periods, alterations in voice, lowering of libido, reduced breast size, fatigue, depression and headaches. Goserelin – given by injection. Prescribed if breast pain is severe and the patient has not responded well to other therapies. This is a hormone therapy. Goserelin can reduce the duration of breast pain during the menstrual cycle. Side effects may include hot flashes, lower libido, greasy skin and hair, reduced breast size, and vaginal dryness. Tamoxifen – despite the fact that it is successful in reducing breast pain, tamoxifen is not licensed to treat the condition in several countries. Inside the UK a specialist doctor can prescribe it for up to a maximum period of 6 months. Possible side effects include hot flashes and vaginal dryness. Getting the right dosage helps reduce the risk of experiencing side effects. Caffeine and salt – reducing caffeine and salt consumption may be efficient in reducing breast pain for some women.

Vitamins A, B and E – supplements, as well as selenium may also help.

Diet – a low-fat diet may help reduce breast pain and soreness – some say the diet should have no diary. Fat promotes the production of estrogen, which is associated with breast tenderness. Specialists say further studies are needed.

Benign breast lump – in most cases doctors recommend benign lumps not be treated, but observed periodically (watchful waiting). Sometimes larger lumps, such as fibroadenomas may be surgically removed. OCT NSAIDs (over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), such as diclofenac may help with inflammation and pain.

Breast cyst – sometimes aspiration is used to take out the fluid. Aspiration is sucking out with a needle and syringe. Usually, the fluid is sent towards the lab for analysis. The majority of cysts are benign. However, some of them are associated with a higher chance of developing breast cancer. In a third of cases after aspiration, the cyst fills up again and needs to be redrained.

What Are Breast Lumps?What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Breast LumpsWhat Are The Causes Of Breast Lumps?How Is A Breast Lump Diagnosed?What Are The Treatment Choices For A Breast Lump?Written by Christian Nordqvist

Healthcare Prof:

Article Opinions:1 posts
Any breast lump should be taken seriously. Despite the fact that around 90% of them are benign (non-cancerous), they should not be dismissed.

According towards the Mayo Clinic, USA, you should make an appointment to see your doctor if:It is a new lumpThe lump seems unusualThe lump feels different from the tissue around itThe lump feels different from the same spot on/in the other breastThe lump remains there after the next menstrual cycle is overThe lump has changed; become firmer, larger, or far more definedWhat Are Breast Lumps?

What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Breast Lumps

What Are The Causes Of Breast Lumps?

How Is A Breast Lump Diagnosed?

What Are The Treatment Options For A Breast Lump?There is discharge from the nippleThe skin on the affected area has changed; this may include crusting, dimpling, puckering, or reddening. The nipple has become inverted (turned inward), and it is not usually soThe National Well being Service (NHS), UK, is much more sweeping in the wording of its advice. “If you find a lump on your breast inform your GP as soon as possible”. It adds that it is crucial for a woman to be aware what her breasts normally look like and feel so that she can rapidly pick up any changes that may happen.

A GP (general practitioner, primary care physician) will carry out a physical examination of the lump, and possibly order further tests, which may include:A mammogram – this is an X-ray of the breast. The breast is placed in a device that compresses and flattens it. There are two types:

Screening mammogram – done on women who have no signs of breast cancer. Typically involves two X-rays of each breast. The aim is always to determine whether there is a tumor which can not be felt. Diagnostic mammogram – a longer diagnostic test which involves much more radiation exposure than a screening mammogram because far more X-rays and/or far more power are involved. Much more power produces greater detail of specific areas of the breast that the doctor may wish to see much more clearly.

Ultrasound – this device uses ultrasound waves which bounce off tissues; the echoes are converted into a sonogram (an image) which the doctor can see on a monitor. The doctor can get an inside view of soft tissues and body cavities. May be used to check specific areas of the breast. Ultrasound is more commonly used for diagnosing women under the age of 35 years. Biopsy – a sample of lump tissue is removed using a fine needle, and then examined under a microscope. Ductogram (galactogram) – examines the milk ducts in the breast. A very thin catheter is inserted into the target duct; a contrast agent (dye) is then injected into the duct. Special mammograms are then taken. The radiologist studies the ductal pathway to determine if any blockages or filling defects are present. This diagnostic test is used if there is nipple discharge. What Are Breast Lumps?What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Breast LumpsWhat Are The Causes Of Breast Lumps?How Is A Breast Lump Diagnosed?What Are The Therapy Alternatives For A Breast Lump?Written by Christian Nordqvist

Healthcare Prof:

Benign (non-cancerous) breast lumps are usually triggered by hormonal changes inside the female’s body. Moments of hormonal change may occur during:The menstrual cycleAdolescenceThe menopausePregnancyIf a woman experiences breast pain that is not linked to her menstrual cycle, it is called non-cyclic pain.

What Are Breast Lumps?

What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Breast Lumps

What Are The Causes Of Breast Lumps?

How Is A Breast Lump Diagnosed?

What Are The Therapy Choices For A Breast Lump?Benign (non-cancerous) breast lumps may also be cause by:Mastitis – inflammationof tissue in one or both mammary glands inside the breast. Mastitis usually affects lactating women – women who are breastfeeding, producing milk. Hence, it is often referred to as lactation mastitis. The patient feels a hard, sore spot inside the breast. Mastitis can occur as a result of an infection or a blocked milk duct. Nipple dischargeDilated milk ductsBreast injuryPost-operative scarring of breast tissueBreast cancer – a tumor that has become malignant – it has developed from the breast cells. A ‘malignant’ tumor can spread to other parts of the body – it may also invade surrounding tissue. When it spreads around the body, we call it ‘metastasis’. A woman’s breast consists of lobules. Lobules are milk-producing glands. The breast is also full of ducts – milk passages that connect the lobules to the nipple. There is also fatty and connective tissue surrounding the ducts and lobules – this is called stroma.

The most common breast cancers start in the cells around the ducts. Others can start inside the cells that line the lobules. A smaller number of breast cancers can start in other parts of the breast.

What Are Breast Lumps?What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Breast LumpsWhat Are The Causes Of Breast Lumps?How Is A Breast Lump Diagnosed?What Are The Remedy Choices For A Breast Lump?Written by Christian Nordqvist

5 (1 votes)

Healthcare Prof:

The signs and symptoms of breast lumps vary, and depend mainly on what is causing them (it). A symptom is sensed by the patient, while a sign is detected by others, including the doctor or nurse. An example of a symptom might be pain, while dilated pupils could be a sign.

Fibroadenosis (fibrocystic breast disease) – also known as benign breast disease, fibrocystic breast changes, and mammary dysplasia. Benign (non-cancerous) changes occur in breast tissue, resulting in:Breast discomfort and general tendernessIrregular lumps, cysts or swellingsItchingSensitive nipplesWhat Are Breast Lumps?

What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Breast Lumps

What Are The Causes Of Breast Lumps?

How Is A Breast Lump Diagnosed?

What Are The Therapy Alternatives For A Breast Lump?Symptoms may alter for the duration of the menstrual cycle – tending to become a lot more pronounced just before or during menses (menstrual bleeding). After the menopause women do not generally have symptoms any more.

Women may have very different symptoms, and the same woman may experience varying symptoms on different occasions. For some patients fibroadenosis is a slight nuisance, while for others it is extremely painful. Doctors say fibroadenosis could be the female body’s normal reaction to changes in hormone levels.

Fibroadenoma – these are small, solid, rubbery, benign (non-cancerous) lumps, consisting of fibrous and glandular tissue. They sometimes develop outside the milk duct. Doctors often recommend a tissue sample (biopsy) to rule out cancer because they appear as a lump. Signs and symptoms include:A well-rounded, smooth, solid lumpMay get larger in the course of pregnancyOccur in women of childbearing yearsThey are painlessThey may disappear on their own, but can often persist and slowly growWhen touched they move easilyThey have a rubber-like textureBreast cyst – a cyst is a closed sac-like structure – an abnormal pocket of fluid, like a blister – that contains either liquid, gaseous, or semi-solid substances. A cyst is located within a tissue, and can occur anywhere in the body and can vary in size – some are so small they can only be viewed by way of a microscope, while others may become so big that they displace normal organs.

A breast cyst is a fluid-filled sac within the breast; there may be many or just one. They are typically:RoundWith distinct edgesWith a soft grape like or water-filled balloon textureThe cyst may feel firmMore common in woman in their 30s and 40s. They normally go away after the menopause, unless the woman is taking HRT (hormone replacement therapy) They may be tiny or several centimeters in diameterPain is unusual, unless the cyst is a large one and grows throughout the menstrual cycleExperts believe breast cysts develop when milk ducts become blocked.

Unless the cyst is large and causing discomfort, in which case it may be drained, it does not normally require therapy.

Breast cancer – during the early stages breast cancer does not have any palpable symptoms (symptoms the patient can notice). However, as the tumor grows, the way the breast looks and feels can change. The following changes may occur:A thickening inside the breast, or near it (within the underarm area) A lump within the breast or near it (in the underarm area) The lump feels firm, usually has an irregular shape, and seems anchored (stuck) to either deep tissue within the breast or the skin of the breast or nearby area. The size and/or shape of the breast may changeThere may be puckering or dimpling within the skin of the affected breastThe nipple of the affected breast may turn inwardThere may be a discharge from the nipple; the discharge may be bloodyThe skin on the breast and/or nipple may be scaly, red or swollenWhat Are Breast Lumps?What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Breast LumpsWhat Are The Causes Of Breast Lumps?How Is A Breast Lump Diagnosed?What Are The Treatment Options For A Breast Lump?Written by Christian Nordqvist