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National Institutes of Health
Breast Diseases
Most women experience breast changes at some time. Your age, hormone levels and medicines you take may cause lumps, bumps and discharges.
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 causes of breast changes are
- Fibrocystic breast condition - lumpiness, thickening and swelling, often associated with 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 or clogged milk ducts
- Milk production when a woman is not breastfeeding
- Injury
NIH: National Cancer Institute
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Start Here
- Non-Cancerous Breast Conditions(American Cancer Society)
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Understanding Breast Changes: A Health Guide for Women(National Cancer Institute)
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
,
Learn More
, and
Multimedia & Cool Tools
.
For group Basics
For group Learn More
For group Multimedia & Cool Tools
The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
,
Reference Shelf
, and
For You
.
For group Research
For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
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Overviews
- Breast Problems in Women(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Also available in Spanish
- Facts for Life: Benign Breast Changes(Susan G. Komen for the Cure) - PDF
- Also available in Spanish
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Diagnosis/Symptoms
- Breast Biopsy(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Breast Cyst Aspiration(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Also available in Spanish
- Breast Lump: Early Evaluation Is Essential(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Breast Lumps - Biopsy
(Patient Education Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
- Breast Self-Exam(American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) - PDF
- Breast Ultrasound(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Galactography (Ductography)(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
- Having a Breast Biopsy: A Guide for Women and Their Families(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
- Also available in Spanish
- Stereotactic (Mammographically Guided) Breast Biopsy(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
- Ultrasound-Guided Breast Biopsy(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
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Specific Conditions
- Breast Calcifications(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Breast Cysts(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- 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)
- Fibroadenoma(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Fibrocystic Breasts(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Galactorrhea(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Lobular Carcinoma In Situ (LCIS)(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Mammary Duct Ectasia(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Mastitis(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Nipple Discharge(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Related Issues
- Fibrocystic Breast Changes: Linked to Breast Cancer?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Pictures & Photographs
- Nipple Dermatitis(Logical Images)
- Supernumerary Nipple(Logical Images)
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Health Check Tools
- Breast Lump(DSHI Systems)
- Breast Pain(DSHI Systems)
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Tutorials
- Breast Lumps - Biopsy(Patient Education Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
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Videos
- If I Had - A Lump in My Breast and Needed an Ultrasound Evaluation(Insidermedicine)
- If I Had - A New Lump in My Breast(Insidermedicine)
- If I Had - Unilateral Nipple Discharge(Insidermedicine)
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Anatomy/Physiology
- Atlas of Human Body: Breast -- Disorders(American Medical Association)
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Breast Cyst(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Breast Diseases(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Fibrocystic Breast Disease(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Mastitis(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Mastodynia(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Breast Cyst
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: The three dermoglandular flap support in reduction mammaplasty.
- Article: Economic analysis of screening strategies for rupture of silicone gel...
- Article: Evaluation of breast amorphous calcifications by a computer-aided detection system...
- Breast Diseases -- see more articles
- Fibrocystic breast disease -- see more articles
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Directories
- ACOG's Physician Directory(American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)
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Organizations
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National Cancer Institute
- Also available in Spanish
- womenshealth.gov(Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
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National Cancer Institute
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Teenagers
- How to Perform a Breast Self-Examination(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- I'm a Guy ... So How Come I'm Developing Breasts?(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Why Are My Breasts Different Sizes?(Nemours Foundation)
- Why Are My Breasts Sore?(Nemours Foundation)
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Men
- Breast Problems in Men(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Also available in Spanish
- Gynecomastia (Enlarged Breasts in Men)(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Patient Handouts
- Breast - premenstrual tenderness and swelling
- Also available in Spanish
- Breast biopsy
- Also available in Spanish
- Breast biopsy -- stereotactic
- Also available in Spanish
- Breast biopsy -- ultrasound
- Also available in Spanish
- Breast infection
- Also available in Spanish
- Breast lump
- Also available in Spanish
- Breast MRI scan
- Also available in Spanish
- Breast pain
- Also available in Spanish
- Breast self exam
- Also available in Spanish
- Breast ultrasound
- Also available in Spanish
- Fibroadenoma - breast
- Also available in Spanish
- Fibrocystic breast disease
- Also available in Spanish
- Gynecomastia
- Also available in Spanish
- Intraductal papilloma
- Also available in Spanish
- Nipple problems
- Also available in Spanish
- Subareolar abscess
- Also available in Spanish
- Supernumerary nipples
- Also available in Spanish
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You may also be interested in these related encyclopedia pages:
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
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Breast Diseases - Multiple Languages
