Breast Lumps In Women

Breast Lumps In Women

• What are causes of breast lumps?
  • Infections that cause breast lumps
  • Injuries that cause breast lumps
  • Non-cancerous growths that cause breast lumps
  • Symptoms of breast cancer
• What determines breast cancer risk?
• How are breast lumps evaluated?
• How can a woman be certain that a lump is not cancer?
• How are breast lumps treated?
• Breast Lumps At A Glance

What are causes of breast lumps?

There are many causes of breast lumps. Some of these causes are harmless, while others can be painful and/or dangerous. Causes of breast lumps include infections, injuries, non-cancerous growths, and cancer.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women in the United States. Currently, death rates from breast cancer are declining. The decline in death rates may be due to a combination of earlier detection and better screening as well as improved treatments. While most breast lumps are harmless (benign), every breast lump should be evaluated by a doctor to exclude or establish a diagnosis of cancer.

Infections that cause breast lumps

Infections of the breast are known as mastitis. Mastitis is especially common in women who are breastfeeding a baby (lactating). When the skin of the nipple (areola) is injured or cracked, such as occurs with nursing, bacteria can enter the wound and cause infections. In a breastfeeding woman, a hard area commonly thought of a "clogged milk duct" can form. Sometimes, certain treatments (see below) can prevent the painful, hard area from developing into an actual breast infection (mastitis). Infections can either be a deep pocket of pus, in which the infection looks like it is growing down into the breast (an abscess), or a wider area of skin redness that spreads out (cellulitis). Body piercing in the nipple area increases the risk of breast infections that may be particularly difficult to treat.

Source: MedicineNet.com
http://www.medicinenet.com/breast_lumps_in_women/article.htm