Fibrocystic Breast Disease

Monthly breast pain and tenderness is suffered by many women. Sometimes lumps can be felt in the breast but when the menstrual period starts, they mysteriously disappear. Describe this scenario to your doctor and he will probably say “sounds like fibrocystic breast disease.” or he might say chronic cystic mastitis or mammary dysplasia. Take your choice, most people just say breast lumps. You are in the majority if you have this problem, as many as 80% of women do. Can this really be called a disease since so many women have it? Some experts say no, but others say it’s potential for complications are too serious to ignore.

Breast_feeding (Photo credit: Bludgeoner86)

Doctors suspect that hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle and an imbalance of estrogens over progesterone is responsible. early signs appear in women 20 to 25 but most patients are in their 30s when symptoms appear and are worse several years before menopause. If you began menstruating at an early age, do not use birth control pills, have no children, or a history of miscarriages, your chances of developing FBD are increased.

About 15% of women who have FBD have little or no discomfort, in others the pain may be severe and constant. In the most severe cases heavy bleeding, ovarian cysts and irregular periods prevail. Pain can spread to underarms, where lymph nodes may become enlarged. But the most important fact is that fibrocystic lumps are noncancerous. They are classified as benign by tumor experts, but it’s essential to be positive the lumps are fibrocystic. To be positive tests are needed, which will include the following. Biopsy, usually done in a doctors office. Ultrasound, without requiring that the skin be broken. Mammogram, which is an X-ray. All these tests have a good track record.