Fibrocystic Breast Disease

Fibrocystic breast disease Is a benign breast condition in which there is extra breast scar tissue in the breast. A woman with fibrocystic breast disease has painful, lumpy breasts that are worse before she gets her menstrual period. It is a painful disease but does not turn into anything worse, such as breast cancer. Women worry that this means the breasts are abnormal or at risk for something worse but nothing could be further from the truth. Doctors often refer to the condition as having fibrocystic changes in the breast rather than calling it a "disease".

Causes of fibrocystic breast disease include hormonal changes in the female hormones such as estrogen and progesterone. The hormones change drastically during the menstrual cycle such that the end of the menstrual cycle is when the symptoms of fibrocystic breast disease are the worst. The changes seen in fibrocystic breast disease tend to go away after menopause because the hormones decrease in concentration during that time. The breasts are painful, swollen and lumpy when fibrocystic breast disease is at its worst.

The changes of fibrocystic breast disease affect sixty percent or more of women, particularly those between the ages of 30 and 50. If a woman takes hormone replacement therapy, the symptoms tend to be worse. Women on birth control tend to have fewer symptoms of fibrocystic breast disease. There is no actual cause and effect between the hormonal changes and breast changes but the relationship is there. There isn't any proof that taking in caffeine, eating chocolate or eating a high fat diet can trigger the symptoms of fibrocystic breast disease.

The symptoms of fibrocystic breast disease tend to be more noticeable before the menstrual period in the premenstrual state. After the period, the individual has fewer symptoms until about two weeks after the period begins. Then the symptoms begin to worsen again. The woman feels discomfort or pain in the breasts, usually symmetrically. The breast pain is not steady but comes and goes. The breasts are heavy, swollen and full during this time and they may feel lumpy to the touch.

The condition can be uncovered during a physical examination in which the healthcare provider examines the breasts and looks for a lumpy and painful breast. An ultrasound can be done to look for cysts in the breasts and to rule out solid lumps, which could be cancerous. A mammogram can usually tell the difference between fibrocystic changes in the breast and cancerous changes in the breast. If a cyst is growing or particularly painful, it can be aspirated using an ultrasound to guide the needle that takes the fluid off the cyst. If there is a solid lesion that is suspicious, the doctor will often do a needle biopsy, also guided by ultrasound.

The treatment of fibrocystic breast disease can be complicated. A woman can take ibuprofen or acetaminophen for pain and can put ice on the breasts to relieve the suffering of painful breasts. A firm and well fitting bra can reduce the pain of fibrocystic changes by supporting the breasts. There is no treatment that can be used to eliminate the breast cysts and fibrous changes within the breasts.

Changing the diet to eliminate fat, chocolate or caffeine actually doesn't change the symptoms of fibrocystic breast disease. In the same way, things like using vitamin E supplements, evening primrose oil and thiamine have not shown to be beneficial in the management of fibrocystic disease. Several prescription medications have been used to try and manage fibrocystic breast changes but none of these have consistently found be helpful.

Once the breast examination and the imaging tests come back as normal, most women feel better and can deal with the symptoms of fibrocystic breast disease. The symptoms do go away over time and this helps women cope as well. There is no indication that fibrocystic breast changes can cause or lead to cancer of the breast but the changes do make it more difficult to diagnose cancer of the breast. Sometimes the lumps can be felt as due to fibrocystic changes but are in fact, cancerous changes. This is why it is a good idea to check your breasts right after the menstrual period is over with.