Adenoma

Mammography has long been the gold standard in breast health screening. Even with advancements in other diagnostic imaging, mammography remains the only screening tool that is proven to decrease the mortality rate of breast cancer by 15%-35%. Even used alone, it has a sensitivity of 84.9% and a specificity of 90.3%. However, there has been extensive research into improving breast imaging techniques because it has been shown that mammography can miss 10% to 30% of cancers due to dense breast tissue. Currently, ultrasound is the secondary imaging test to follow suspicious findings on mammography. Some facilities are starting to use digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) which is a newer technology that has promising results, especially for women

Physicians often recommend mammograms to patients who have a lump in order to ensure that they do not have breast cancer. Mammograms help physicians distinguish between benign and cancerous lumps.

Check your breasts after every menstrual period. If you do not have menstrual periods, check your breasts on the first day of every month. Check for:

Breast cancer is an extremely common disease, affecting about 12% of women in the United States. That’s why The American Cancer Society recommends that all women get their regular mammograms every year after age 40. On top of that, women are taught to look out for any unusual lumps or bumps. That way, they can notify their doctors right away and try to catch any suspected breast cancers early. Did you know that besides an obvious lump or mass, there are other signs of breast cancer that are more subtle? Here, we share some more subtle signs of breast cancer that all women should be aware of.

Breast cancer is a malignant tumor in the glandular tissues of the breast. Such tumors, also called carcinomas, form when the chemical processes that control normal cell growth break down, enabling a single abnormal cell to multiply at a rapid rate (Hickman). Carcinomas,

Diagnoses can be made in so many different ways other than a mammogram as well. There are several routes that can be taken. Following is ways to make a diagnosis that differ from the obvious mammogram: MRI, PET scan, CT scan, biopsy, bone scan, ultrasound, lab tests, miraluma breast imaging and metastatic cancer detection. Some may seem more invasive of a diagnosis as others. Diagnosis is the first step with coming up with a plan.

In regards to breast cancer, there is no emergent management. The diagnosis of breast cancer is usually found by clinical breast exam or radiologic evaluation. If a patient presents to the emergency room with a breast lump, they will likely be discharged with instructions to follow up with their primary care provider.

Regular breast screening is an important part of health care for women. Breast screening is usually done through mammography. Mammography is a procedure in which an X-ray image of the breast (mammogram) is taken. Abnormalities in the breast, such as growths (tumors) or growths that contain fluid or air (cysts), can be found through mammography. Breast implants can make mammography difficult to do. The implants may affect the result of the exam or the evaluation of the exam result.

     Breast physical exam – help to find lumps that women may miss with their own

Ideally, the clinical breast exam should be performed on a patient approximately one week after there menstrual cycle, which is when the breast tissue is least engorged and lumps are more easily felt (Salzman, 2012). Patients should be supine with their arm positioned over their head. The breast tissue should be palpated in a vertical manner, with the pads of the middle three fingers, moving slowly in small, circular motions applying different grades of pressure (Salzman, 2012). In an ideal clinical breast exam, the breast tissue as well as well as the nipple areolar complex, the axillae, the supraclavicular area, and the chest wall should be examined.

The most important factors to classify tumors as benign or Malignant is its invasive potential1. First of all, Benign tumors lack the ability to invade adjacent tissues and are in a confined location typically encapsulated in a fibrous capsule2. Whereas, malignant tumors will often require chemotherapy and radiation, while benign tumors can be removed by surgery alone2. Third, benign tumors rarely recur after surgery, while malignant tumors are known to recur much more commonly2. In fact, surgery to remove benign tumors are much easier in contrast to malignant tumors2. Also, it is harder to remove malignant tumors because they attack and access nearby tissues, whereas it is easier to remove benign tumors for their clear fibrous boundaries2.

In clinical practice, a breast lump is very common. It may be accompanied in some cases by other patient’s complaints such as pain and/ or nipple discharge, which may be bloody. Sometimes more than one lump is detected in the same breast, or in both breasts. Cutaneous manifestations as nipple retraction, nipple and/or skin erosion, skin dimpling, erythema and peau d’ orange may also be noted; both by the patient and her physician. A lump may not be palpable in spite of breast symptoms such as pain and or nipple discharge. Cytological examination, mammography and ultrasonography in these cases may help to detect small clinically impalpable lesions such as duct papilloma, a small intraduct

Check the surrounding areas from the collarbone to the sternum and below the breasts as well. Examine the parts under the arm for lymph nodes and swelling. Check all the areas around the breasts for something that feels like a walnut, marble or a pea.

Based on the symptoms faced by the individual, the doctor will guide her to take the next necessary action. The doctor might want to provide a verdict after the assessment of what is inside the breast. In that case, the individual might be asked to perform an X-Ray of the breast, commonly known as Mammogram. He might also take a sample of the tissue out off the breast lump and do a biopsy test to know if the lump is malignant or cancerous. Hence, visiting a doctor is always the right thing to do as one would rather be safe than sorry.

According to the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, doctors aren’t certain what the cause of fibroadenoma is but they figure it’s from the reproductive hormones during the young age. This has been assumed because fibroadenoma appear during the reproductive years. In addition, they also assume that the increased risk of fibroadenoma occurs or get bigger during pregnancy or use of hormonal therapy. (Mayo Clinic Staff 2014) Later on during the postmenopausal stage, when your hormone levels are decreased, the tumor may shrink in size.