Breasts can develop different disorders. Although there are breast disorders that can be cancerous, according to the American Medical Association (AMA), the vast majority of disorders, changes or lumps in the breast are not cancerous. This means the noncancerous changes or lumps in the breasts are benign or not life-threatening. With some breast disorders, women can suffer from symptoms, but it depends on the disorder. Nevertheless, if you find any abnormalities in your breast, you should contact your doctor.
Tumors
A breast tumor can be precancerous or cancerous. However, when a tumor is cancerous, it will resemble a white area with or without radiating arms on a mammogram even before a woman can feel it in the breast. A woman with a tumor can suffer tenderness, discharge from the nipple, a dimpled appearance in the skin over the tumor, swelling or indentation of the nipple. There can, however, be no symptoms at all. Your doctor will perform a breast biopsy to determine if the tumor is cancerous or noncancerous.
Cysts
When a cyst occurs in the breasts, it causes a fluid-filled sac within the breasts. Cysts may cause pain, but they are not harmful. It is not known why breast cysts occur. They can disappear just as quickly as they appear. However, doctors can treat breast cysts. For instance, doctors can use a needle to drain the fluid. According to the American Cancer Society, cysts typically occur in women who are 50 years old or older.
Abscess
An abscess in the breasts can result from an infection. With a breast abscess, pus collects in the breasts. Women can suffer from inflammation and tenderness in the breasts. Doctors prescribe one of two courses of treatment. Doctors can drain the pus from the breasts or prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection.
Fibrocystic Breast Disease
Although fibrocystic breast disease is called a disease, it is not. Instead, it is a condition involving an increase in fibrous and glandular tissues in the breast. The condition is common in women and can appear in both breasts. This increase causes small, noncancerous lumpiness, tenderness and nodular cysts. Although there is no specific treatment for this condition, the cysts can be treated by drawing the fluid out of the cyst with a needle. These fibrocystic changes typically happen to women who are between 30 and 40 years old, according to the American Cancer Society.
Fibroadenomas
According to the the American Cancer Society, fibroadenomas can occur in women who are 30 to 40 years old, and in women who use birth control pills before they are 20 years old, who are more at risk for fibroadenomas. With this disorder, benign growths appear in the breast tissue. Fibroadenomas usually does not cause pain. Instead, the growths will feel like solid lumps that are not attached to any part of the breast. Doctors can remove the fibroadenomas, or growth, surgically. Women will receive local anesthesia for the surgery.
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