Understanding breast function and development
 
The breasts are constantly changing from the time of puberty.

When girls reach puberty they develop lobules at the end of the ducts that sit behind the nipples. Mainly made up of fatty tissue, the breasts are supported by ligaments and muscle attached to the chest wall.

Each female breast has 15-20 lobes with a number ...More

Men have far less fatty tissue in their breasts than women, but they can still be affected by breast cancer.

Signs and symptoms
 
A good time to examine yourself is in the shower
 
To pick up potential problems at the earliest possible opportunity, you need to be aware of any changes in your breasts.

For example:

• change in size - ...More

A guide to hereditary or 'familial' breast cancer
 
Breast cancer is a common disease. One in nine women in the UK will develop it at some point in their lifetime, so it is not unusual to have one or two members of your family who have had breast cancer by chance.
Breast cancer that runs in families is known as hereditary or familial breast cancer and is thought to be caused b ...More

Looking at causes and treatments for this common condition
 
Is it a symptom of something more serious?
 
Breast pain (mastalgia) is very common, affecting women of all ages at some time in their lives.

There are two main types of breast pain:
• cyclical - directly related to the menstrual cycle
• non-cyclical - unrelated to menstruation. ...More

Different types

What is a fibroadenoma?

The breasts are made up of ducts and lobules, which are surrounded by fatty tissue and supportive tissue. Sometimes tissue will grow over a lobule like a ball, forming a solid lump. This is a fibroadenoma.
Fibroadenomas are benign and don’t increase the risk of developing breast cancer. They are thought to occur as an increased sensit ...More

What are breast cysts?

Near the surface cysts feel soft, deeper into the breast tissue cysts become hard lumps. Cysts can develop anywhere in the breast. However, they are more commonly found in the upper half. Some women find cysts to be uncomfortable, even painful. Before a period cysts may become larger, and feel sore and tender.

How ...More

What is duct ectasia?

Duct ectasia can also cause a discharge from the nipple, which is usually thick but may also be watery. It can vary in colour and can be either bloodstained or clear.

Sometimes a lump can be felt behind the nipple, or the tissue behind the nipple can become scarred. As the ducts shorten this can eventually pull the nipple inwards ...More

What is an intraductal papilloma?

Intraductal papillomas are benign and do not increase the risk of developing breast cancer. They usually develop naturally as the breast ages and changes.
For women who develop intraductal papillomas, those reaching the menopause are more likely to have a single papilloma, while younger women may have more than one.
More

What is hyperplasia?

The breasts are made up of lobules (milk-producing glands) and ducts (tubes that carry milk to the nipple), which are surrounded by fatty tissue and supportive tissue. Sometimes normal cells within the breast grow bigger and increase in number. This is called hyperplasia. It can occur in the ducts (ductal hyperplasia) or the lobules (lobular h ...More

Sclerosing adenosis is a benign condition whereby extra tissue grows within the breast lobules.
It can cause recurring pain, or result in a small, firm lump in the breast.

Diagnosis

Your GP will refer you to a specialist at a breast clinic for a mammogram or ultrasound scan.
Because sclerosing adenosis can be difficult to distinguish from ...More

What is fat necrosis?

Fat necrosis is a lump that forms as a result of damage to an area of the fatty breast tissue.
Fat necrosis is benign (non-cancerous) and does not increase the risk of developing breast cancer. It can affect women of any age.

Many women don’t remember any specific injury causing the fat necrosis.
Fat necrosis feels lik ...More

What are breast calcifications?

Calcification usually develops naturally as the breast tissue ages. They can also form if you’ve had an infection in or injury to the breast; if you’ve had stitches or a breast implant; or as a result of a benign breast condition (eg. Fibroadenoma).

Breast calcifications are very common and in most cases harmless. Somet ...More

A guide to diagnosis and treatment

This benign (non-cancerous) condition is the overgrowth of male breast tissue and is common in teenage boys and older men - although it can affect a man at any time of their life.

Whilst commonly known in the medical world, gynaecomastia is relatively unknown and is not discussed openly in public, particularly as it is a se ...More

What is Mondor’s disease?

Mondor’s disease is an inflammation of the veins under the skin of the breast and chest wall, and is also known as superficial thrombophlebitis.

It affects both men and women but there are many more cases in women.

Mondor’s disease is a benign condition and is quite rare. It can affect any of the veins in the breast, but mos ...More

What is a phyllodes tumour?

A phyllodes tumour is a hard lump of tissue that can appear anywhere in the breast. It’s thought that it develops naturally as the breast ages and changes.
Once formed a phyllodes tumour may grow quite large, quite quickly.

Although they can affect a woman at any time in her life, phyllodes tumours are most common in women ...More

What is periductal mastitis?

When the ducts under the nipple become inflamed and infected; this is periductal mastitis.

A benign condition, periductal mastitis can affect women of all ages but is more common in younger women.

Symptoms include:

•    Breast become tender and hot to the touch
•    Poss ...More

There are different types of breast cancer and it is  important that your doctors have an accurate diagnosis so that they can begin to plan the most appropriate treatment for you. ...More

A guide to diagnosis and treatment
 
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is an early form of breast cancer, sometimes described as a pre-cancerous, intraductal or non-invasive cancer.
This means that the cancer cells are inside the milk ducts or 'in situ' and have not developed the ability to spread through the breast or outside it. There are a number of different types of DCIS. < ...More

A guide to diagnosis and treatment
 
Breasts are made up of ducts and lobules which are supported by fat and connective tissue.
Milk is made and stored within the lobules and carried through to the nipple via the ducts during breast feeding.
LCIS means that there are cell changes within the lobules at the end of the ducts.
LCIS has been linked to a slightly increase ...More

A guide to diagnosis and treatment
 
Phyllodes tumours are a rare type of breast lump that can affect a woman at any time in her life, although most commonly found in pre-menopausal women between the ages of 40 and 50.

Phyllodes tumours are classified into three groups:
• benign (most common)
• borderline malignant
• malignant.

 
In patients with inflammatory breast cancer, the reddened appearance is caused by breast cancer cells blocking tiny channels in the breast tissue called lymph channels. The lymph channels a ...More

Symptoms and treatment

Paget’s disease of the breast is an uncommon form of breast cancer that first shows as changes to the nipple. It occurs in fewer than 5% of all women with breast cancer. Men can also get Paget’s disease but this is very rare.

Signs and symptoms

The most common sign is a red, scaly rash involvin ...More

Symptoms and treatment

Breast tissue is made up of ducts and It can occur at any age, but more commonly affects women in the 45-55 year age group. Men can also get lobules where milk is m ...More