Lumps in the breasts

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Breast Lump Removal: Illustrated Series

Causes of breast lumps

Female breast

Normal female breast anatomy

Fibroadenoma

If a woman has been diagnosed with fibrocystic breast disease, she should examine her breasts monthly to watch for changes.

A well-fitting bra should be worn to provide good breast support. The effectiveness of vitamin E, vitamin B-6, and herbal preparations (such as evening primrose oil) are controversial and should be discussed with your health care provider.

Consider restricting dietary fat to approximately 25% of the total daily calorie intake and eliminating caffeine and cigarette smoking to see if symptoms subside.

Birth control pills may be prescribed because they often reduce symptoms.

The choice of initial treatment for biopsy-confirmed breast cancer is based on the extent and aggressiveness of the disease. Currently, breast cancer is viewed as a systemic (involving the entire body) disease that requires both local and systemic treatment.

Local treatment may include lumpectomy, mastectomy (removal of part or all of the breast, and sometimes involving the armpit lymph nodes), and radiation therapy -- all directed at the breast and surrounding tissue.

Systemic treatment includes chemotherapy and hormone therapy, which circulate throughout the entire body in an attempt to eliminate cancer cells that may be present in distant parts of the body.

Most women receive a combination therapy including surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and hormonal therapy. Therapy will depend on the extent of the local disease, if there is cancer in local lymph nodes or in other parts of the body, as well as the genetic findings after analyzing the cancer cells.

The long-term outlook depends on the type of problem. See the specific condition for detailed information.

Because fibrocystic changes may make breast examination and mammography more difficult to interpret, early cancers may occasionally be overlooked.

Even with aggressive and appropriate treatment, breast cancer often spreads to the lungs, liver, and bones. Cancer returns to the breasts in about 5% of cases after total mastectomy and removal of the armpit lymph nodes, if the nodes themselves were found to be cancer-free. Breast cancer returns in about 25% of cases in those with similar treatment where the nodes were found to have cancer.