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

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

Start Here

• Breast Changes and Conditions (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: Early Evaluation Is Essential (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Breast Pain in Women (American Academy of Family Physicians) 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
• Ultrasound - Breast (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish

Specifics

• Adenosis of the Breast (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
• Benign Breast Conditions (American Academy of Family Physicians) 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)
• 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)

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: DNA methylation and gene expression changes in mouse mammary tissue during...
• Article: ERBB Receptors and Their Ligands in the Developing Mammary Glands of...
• Article: Revealing the Second and the Third Causes of AgNPs Property to...
• 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
• 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? (For Teens) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Breast - premenstrual tenderness and swelling (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Breast biopsy -- stereotactic (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Breast biopsy -- ultrasound (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 - breast (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Fibrocystic breast disease (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Gynecomastia (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Intraductal papilloma (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Nipple problems (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish