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Main page Breast cancer Book marks Links More info Benign diseases of the breastWomen during the course of her life may develop many types of lumps in her breast. Most of these lumps are not cancer and are called benign tumors. Breast lumps are very common and most women will experience one or more at some time in their lives. Women may often undergo biopsy of the lump to reveal that a breast abnormality is benign, or non-cancerous On biopsy most of these lumps turn out to be fibrocystic changes. A palpable lump is different from nodularity or thickening of the breast which appears at the time of more prominent just prior the menstrual periods. The term "fibrocystic" refers to combination of fibrosis and cysts. Lumpy breasts used to be called fibrocystic disease or fibroadenosis. It is now realised that lumpy breasts are not diseased breasts but are normal. Benign lumps can be caused by cysts (fluid filled sacs) or fibroadenomas (solid non cancerous growth). Most of the benign lumps are fluid-filled cysts formed within the breast tissue and do not increase your chance of getting breast cancer. Fibrocystic changes can cause breast swelling and pain. Fibroadenomas are not strictly speaking disease, however breast swelling and tenderness can be associated with fibrocystic changes. In premenopausal women most breast disorders are benign while in postmenopausal women about half of breast lumps are benign and the other half are cancerous. Benign breast tumors such as fibroadenomas or papillomas are abnormal growths, but they are benign and does not spread outside of the breast to other organs. They are not life threatening. Some benign breast disorders such as papillomas and atypical hyperplasia are important, though, because women with these abnormalities have a higher risk of developing breast cancer. Ovarian cancer |