Cysts, and other Benign Breast Conditions

Before beginning this section on benign (non-cancerous) conditions of the breast, it is important to emphasize again, that outside the mammographic screening process, any woman should seek advice from her family physician or breast specialist if she has any of the following symptoms:

• A lump in the breast

• Breast pain

• Thickening of the skin of the breast

• Rash or redness of the breast

• Breast swelling

• Nipple discharge

• Dimpling around the nipple or on the breast skin

• Nipple pain or the nipple turning inward

• Lumps in the arm-pit

• Changes in the appearance of the nipple or breast

More about Benign Breast Conditions

The majority of female breast abnormalities are benign (non-cancerous). Benign breast conditions, or ‘benign breast change,’ include a spectrum of changes that may present with a cyst or a palpable mass. It is important to establish that the condition is benign as soon as possible, to alleviate any anxiety for the patient.

The incidence of benign breast conditions starts to rise during the second decade and peaks in the fourth and fifth decades. Malignant diseases (breast cancers) have an incidence that continues to increase after the menopause, although at a less rapid pace.

Benign breast conditions arising from the glandular epithelium in the breast go into three histological (microscopic) categories:

• non-proliferative;

• proliferative without atypia, and

• atypical hyperplasia (ADH and ALH) (see Section 4).

The reason for this classification is that some benign conditions may be associated with an increased risk for future cancer. Even if this risk is small, knowing about it can prepare a woman and her physician for increased clinical monitoring, preventive measures or counselling.

In 2012, the World Health Organization (WHO) sought the advice of pathologists, clinicians and oncologists worldwide to produce the 2012 revised WHOClassification of Breast Tumors.   Section 5 will follow this classification system and include any update in terminology, classification and diagnosis.