subject: What Are The Causes And Treatment Of Breast Lumps In Women? [print this page] What Are The Causes And Treatment Of Breast Lumps In Women?
Breast lumps in women can have different causes. They can be the result of an infection, of an injury, of a non cancerous growth and even of cancer. If you have noticed any breast lump, chances are that it has nothing to do with cancer. However, since the possibility exists, every woman experiencing breast lumps should see a doctor in order to exclude cancer.
There are various types of medical investigations that are done in order to establish the nature and the gravity of breast lumps, but only a biopsy is going to tell for sure if it's cancer or not. Lumps in breast in women signalizing cancer are, most of the times, painless. Only a small percent of women diagnosed with cancer declared that they have had painful lumps. Lumps in breast in women can indeed signalize a serious medical condition if they are accompanied by nipple discharge and by irritation of the skin.
Breast lumps in women can be caused by infections also. Mastitis is an infection that affects breast feeding women and that produces breast lumps. Other infections can have similar effects and piercing the nipple area can increase the risk of infection. Women that suffer a breast injury might notice a lump afterwards because the broken capillaries that result from an injury form and hematoma. This feels exactly like a lump the moment when women self-examine their breast.
There are also growths that feel like lumps, but have noting to do with breast cancer. Fibroadenomas are the scariest ones because the pain associated with them is either inexistent or mild. They affect women around their thirties. After this age, cysts are more common. They are sacs filled with fluid and their size depends on the menstrual cycle. Fibrocystic changes are another type of non cancerous growth. They are usually the result of hormonal changes.
Women with lumps in breast definitely need to see a doctor and to be subjected to a mammography. This can tell better than ultrasound exams the nature of the breast lump. The treatment depends on the type of breast lump. If it is the result of an infection than antibiotics and heat therapy are used. Fibroadenomas are usually removed because medical investigations can't tell 100% sure that they are not cancerous. Abscesses require to be drained. If the lumps in breast provide to be cancerous, the treatment is complex, needs to be established together with medical personnel and also needs to start immediately.
