The Breast Flashcards
What are the clinical presentations of breast diseases?
Pain, palpable mass (cysts, benign tumours, cancers), nipple discharge, mammography abnormality
What is Fibrocystic Disease?
Benign. v. common.
Lumpiness in one or usually both breasts. Pain/tenderness in breasts. Hormone related changes. Calcification
What is Fat Necrosis?
Benign.
Trauma to breast can lead to localised haemorrhage and necrosis.
Hard lump - mimics cancer clinically
What is Mastitis?
Benign.
Inflammatory condition.
Red, tender, warm - caused by blocked ducts (lactation mastitis)
Examples of benign tumours
Fibroadenoma
Papilloma
What is Ductal Carcinoma?
Pre-malignant.
Abnormality of milk ducts,
What is Lobular Carcinoma?
Malignant.
Commonest type of breast cancer
Grades 1-3
What is Paget’s Disease?
Malignant.
Affects skin of one nipple.
Eczema-type rash, itchy, possibly bleeding.
Sign of underlying breast cancer
How to diagnose malignant breast tumours?
Clinical impression, radiology, cytology/histology, one-stop clinics
Risk Factors of Breast Cancer
Incidence increases with age
Heredity breast cancer - BRCA mutation (x5 risk of breast cancer, x10 risk of ovarian cancer)
BUT most breast cancers are not related to BRCA gene
What is the treatment for Breast Cancer?
Surgery +/- lymph node dissection (lumpectomy, mastectomy, sentinel lymph node)
Chemo/radiotherapy
Drugs e.g. tamoxifen/herceptin
What is papilloma?
Benign.
Wart-like growths in ducts causing bleeding nipple/discharge.
What is fibroadenoma?
Benign.
Rubbery lumps that appear at reproductive age and can increase in size during pregnancy
