MedlinePlus: Breast Diseases

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Breast Diseases

Most women experience breast changes at some time. Your age, hormone levels and medicines you take may cause lumps, bumps and discharges.

If you have a breast lump, pain, discharge or skin irritation, see your health care provider. Minor and serious breast problems have similar symptoms. Although many women fear cancer, most breast problems are not cancer.

Some common causes of breast changes are

Fibrocystic breast condition - lumpiness, thickening and swelling, often associated with a woman's period
Cysts - fluid-filled lumps
Fibroadenomas - solid, round, rubbery lumps that move easily when pushed, occurring most in younger women
Intraductal papillomas - growths similar to warts near the nipple
Blocked or clogged milk ducts
Milk production when a woman is not breastfeeding
Injury

National Cancer Institute

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Non-Cancerous Breast Conditions(American Cancer Society)
Understanding Breast Changes: A Health Guide for Women(National Cancer Institute)

Basics	Learn More	Multimedia & Cool Tools
Overviews Diagnosis/Symptoms Prevention/Screening	Specific Conditions	Pictures & Photographs Health Check Tools Tutorials
Research	Reference Shelf	For You
Anatomy/Physiology Clinical Trials Journal Articles	Medical Encyclopedia Directories Organizations	Children Teenagers Men

Overviews
- Breast Lumps(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Detecting and Treating Breast Problems(American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)
- Facts for Life: Benign Breast Changes(Susan G. Komen for the Cure) - Links to PDF
  Also available in Spanish
Diagnosis/Symptoms
- Breast Awareness and Breast Self-Exam(National Women's Health Information Center)
- Breast Biopsy(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Breast Cyst Aspiration(American Academy of Family Physicians)
  Also available in Spanish
- Breast Lumps - Biopsy(Patient Education Institute)
  Also available in Spanish
- Is It Breast Cancer? Procedures to Evaluate Breast Lumps(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Needle Biopsy(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Stereotactic (Mammographically Guided) Breast Biopsy(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
  Also available in Spanish
- Ultrasound-Guided Breast Biopsy(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
  Also available in Spanish
Prevention/Screening
- MedlinePlus: Mammography(National Library of Medicine)
  Also available in Spanish
Specific Conditions
- Breast Calcifications(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Breast Cysts(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Breast Problems in Women(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Fibrocystic Breast Changes(American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)
- Galactorrhea(American Academy of Family Physicians)
  Also available in Spanish
- Lobular Carcinoma In Situ(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Mammary Duct Ectasia(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Mastitis(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Nipple Discharge(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Pictures & Photographs
- Nipple Dermatitis(Logical Images)
- Supernumerary Nipple(Logical Images)
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Health Check Tools
- Breast Lump(DSHI Systems)
- Breast Pain(DSHI Systems)
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Tutorials
- Breast Lumps - Biopsy(Patient Education Institute)
  Also available in Spanish
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Anatomy/Physiology
- Atlas of the Body: The Breast -- Disorders(American Medical Association)
- Pictures of Breast Anatomy(Breastcancer.org)
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Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Breast Diseases(National Institutes of Health)
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Fibrocystic Breast Disease(National Institutes of Health)
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Medical Encyclopedia
- Breast Diseases
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Directories
- ACOG's Physician Directory(American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)
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Organizations
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
- National Cancer Institute
- National Women's Health Information Center(Dept. of Health and Human Services)
  Also available in Spanish
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Children
- Breast Problems(American Pediatric Surgical Association)
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Teenagers
- How to Perform a Breast Self-Examination(Nemours Foundation)
  Also available in Spanish
- I'm a Guy ... So How Come I'm Developing Breasts?(Nemours Foundation)
  Also available in Spanish
- Why Are My Breasts Different Sizes?(Nemours Foundation)
- Why Are My Breasts Sore?(Nemours Foundation)
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Men
- Breast Problems in Men(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Gynecomastia (Enlarged Breasts in Men)(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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