Fibrocystic breast disease is a noncancerous condition that causes the breasts to feel lumpy and painful. Fibrocystic breasts aren't harmful, but they may be uncomfortable for some women. Sometimes, we also refer to the condition as fibrocystic breast changes or fibrosclerosis of the breast.
Having fibrocystic breasts doesn't increase your risk of breast cancer.
Fibroids are almost always benign (not cancerous). Rarely (less than one in 1,000) a cancerous fibroid will occur. This is called leiomyosarcoma. (leye-oh-meye-oh-sar-KOH-muh) Doctors think that these cancers do not arise from an already-existing fibroid.
While the exact mechanism is unclear, fibrocystic breast changes are believed to be caused by fluctuating levels of hormones — especially estrogen — during your menstrual cycle.
avoid caffeine and other stimulants (such as coffee, tea, chocolate, soft drinks) lower the amount of salt and saturated fats in your diet. add 25 grams of ground flaxseed to your diet each day. take evening primrose oil or vitamin E supplements.
Treatment options for breast cysts include: Fine-needle aspiration. Your doctor uses a hair-thin needle to drain the fluid from the cyst. Removing fluid confirms that the lump is a breast cyst and, in effect, collapses it, relieving associated discomfort.
In many cases, fibrocystic breast tissue is affected by hormone levels and the menstrual cycle. Symptoms can also be caused by environmental factors like diet and stress level.
Fibrocystic breasts have lumpy tissue, but it's not cancerous. Those lumps, as well as areas that could be cancer, show up as white spots on a traditional mammogram.
Fibrocystic breast syndrome is when women develop breast pain and tender nodules throughout their breast tissue. While most breast cysts are localized and feel like a single mass causing pain in one particular spot, fibrocystic breast syndrome is a different process. It can occur in both breasts and it is diffuse.
Fibrocystic breast change is a common and benign change within the breast characterized by a dense irregular and bumpy consistency in the breast tissue. Mammography or biopsy may be needed to rule out other disorders.
A surgery is usually never recommended or done for treating fibrocystic breast disease. In case there is a cyst in the breast it can sometimes be treated by puncturing and draining it. Some lifestyle changes are also helpful in treating the symptoms.
Fibrocystic breast changes are not cancer. Doctors sometimes call fibrocystic breast changes fibrocystic breast disease. Many breast lumps are due to fibrocystic changes. The lumps can be caused by a collection of fibrous tissue in an area of the breast.
Mastectomy is not the appropriate treatment for fibrocystic breasts in all cases. However, mastectomy for fibrocystic breasts may be indicated when the patient is symptomatic and has been unresponsive to conservative treatment and/or a biopsy has been performed.
You may notice that your symptoms worsen just before your menstrual period. In addition to lumpiness and swelling throughout one or both breasts, you may have pain, tenderness, and/or nipple discharge. Fibrocystic breast changes can usually be diagnosed through a clinical breast exam and a symptom history.
Fibrocystic breast disease is the most common benign type of breast disease, diagnosed in millions of women worldwide.
Fibrocystic breast lumps are cysts, which are fluid-filled sacs surrounded by fibrous tissue. These cysts are not caused by cancer. Fibroadenomas, another common cause of breast lumps, are solid lumps of fibrous tissue. They are not caused by cancer either.
Fibrocystic breasts aren't really a disease; they're more accurately described as a common condition where your breasts get lumpy and tender just before your period. The condition usually goes away after your period.
Symptoms of breast cysts that are different from breast cancer include breast pain, infections (symptoms of an infection include pain, redness, warmth of the breast, breast tenderness and swelling, body aches, fatigue, fever, and chills), and abscesses.
The fibrocystic masses are not dangerous. At the most, the condition causes pain, burn, irritation and numbness which can be managed with medication treatment. These symptoms may occur in both breasts, armpits, shoulders and arms, but they may even radiate to the back and posterior neck.
If left untreated, benign cysts can cause serious complications including: Infection – the cyst fills with bacteria and pus, and becomes an abscess. If the abscess bursts inside the body, there is a risk of blood poisoning (septicaemia).
Avoid saturated fats, including meat, eggs, cheese, full-fat yogurt and high-fat dairy products. Also, avoiding all caffeinated beverages and food, including coffee, tea, and chocolates will add benefits.
If the breast lump is growing quickly, or causing pain or other problems, you may need to have the entire lump removed. This might also happen if the biopsy results are not clear. A surgeon will talk with you about your options.