Some cysts are cancerous and early treatment is vital. If left untreated, benign cysts can cause serious complications including: Infection – the cyst fills with bacteria and pus, and becomes an abscess.
The vast majority of breast cysts — about 70% — will go away on their own. So, unless they're causing severe pain, we usually just leave them alone, after confirming the diagnosis of a simple breast cyst. A lot of women will always have breast cysts, but won't necessarily have any symptoms related to them.
Cysts can develop in women of any age. They are most common in the 30–50 year age group. They usually disappear after menopause, but in some women they can last throughout life.
When to see a doctor. Normal breast tissue often feels lumpy or nodular. But if you feel a new breast lump that doesn't go away, gets bigger or persists after one or two menstrual cycles, see your doctor right away.
Cysts and cancer
Cysts are not cancers. They are no more likely to become cancerous than any other part of the breast. There is no evidence that cysts cause cancer. Having a cancer in the same area as a cyst is a coincidence.
While breast cysts and breast cancer both appear as lumps in the breast, they are two very different conditions. Generally, breast cancer is hard with rough edges, while breast cysts tend to be softer, with smooth edges. See your healthcare provider if you find any breast lumps to determine what it is.
Breast cysts don't require treatment unless a cyst is large and painful or uncomfortable. In that case, draining the fluid from a breast cyst can ease symptoms. Although breast cysts can be found in women of any age, they're more common in women before menopause, typically under age 50.
Typically, you would have a clinical breast exam and ultrasound, with or without mammography. If at any point your doctor feels that the cyst has suspicious features suggesting it could actually be a breast cancer, he or she can order a biopsy to make sure any solid parts inside the cyst are benign.
Drink less coffee, tea, and soda containing caffeine, which may aggravate the cysts. Also try avoiding chocolate. Ask your healthcare provider about supplements such as evening primrose oil, available at health food stores, and vitamins such as vitamin A, B complex, and vitamin E may help reduce symptoms.
A cyst and a solid mass can feel the same. They can also sometimes look the same on a mammogram. The doctor must be sure it's a cyst to know it's not cancer, so a breast ultrasound is often done (because it is better than a mammogram at showing if the inside of a mass is solid or filled with fluid).
Breast cysts are a benign (not cancer) condition. They're one of the most common causes of a breast lump, and can develop in either one or both breasts. It's thought they develop naturally as the breast changes with age due to normal changes in hormone levels. It's common to have more than one cyst.
No treatment is necessary for simple breast cysts — those that are fluid filled and don't cause any symptoms — that are confirmed on breast ultrasound or after a fine-needle aspiration. Many cysts will disappear with no treatment.
Monthly hormone changes often cause cysts to get bigger and become painful and sometimes more noticeable just before the menstrual period.
Lumpectomy is also called breast-conserving surgery. Lumpectomy is a commonly performed surgery but still major surgery with risks and potential complications. Later on, additional treatments may be required following a lumpectomy such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Most cysts are benign, but some can also develop into cancer. “Depending on the cyst location and type, some can be precancerous and need to be followed or removed. It can be like a polyp in the colon, each type having varying risk of developing into cancer,” Dr. Choti said.
Most women can go back to their usual activities in a week or so. Avoid heavy lifting, jogging, or activities that cause pain in the surgical area for 1 to 2 weeks. Check with your doctor prior to driving, or going back to work.
Epidermal inclusion cysts of the breast are associated with several complications such as spontaneous rupture, inflammation, and abscess formation [1].
Some red flags could include: A change in size, shape or texture of your breast. A mass or lump. Discharge from your nipple.
[3][4] It is thought that 7% of all women in the United States will develop a palpable breast cyst at some point in their life. Breast cysts typically develop in 30 to 50-year-old females.
Tumors and cysts are two different types of growth. To determine whether a growth is a tumor or a cyst, a doctor may use ultrasound or take a biopsy.
Common diseases that a healthcare provider may misdiagnose as breast cancer include: Breast cysts. Fibrotic breast tissue.
Shape and size of a breast lump
A cancerous lump is usually hard, not soft or squishy. And it often has angular, irregular, asymmetrical edges, as opposed to being smooth, Dr. Comander says. In order for you to feel a cancerous lump, it probably has to be rather large and closer to the surface of the skin.