Lumpy(s) in your breasts? Don't immediately think the worst. It can also indicate the harmless condition mastopathy. Mastopathy is a collective name for various benign complaints in your breasts.
General practitioner Ingrid Kuiper:'Almost one in eight women will develop breast cancer. Mastopathy is even more common. In mastopathy, the breasts are tense and painful and you feel lumps. These are cysts (fluid-filled blisters) or dermatofibromas (connective tissue nodules). Sometimes mastopathy is also accompanied by fluid discharge from the nipples. Most often, the condition is hormone dependent; just before menstruation, the symptoms get worse and then they decrease again.
Although mastopathy is a benign condition, it often causes unrest. Breast cancer and mastopathy can occur at the same time. There is a risk that a malignant nodule will then be assessed as 'another cyst'. Regularly examining your breasts is therefore very important.
What to watch out for?
A malignant lump does not change in size over the course of a menstrual cycle. In addition, cysts and dermatofibromas are often round like a marble and a malignant nodule is more likely to fuse with its environment. Another difference:mastopathy is usually painful, breast cancer initially not.
To be sure, a breast X-ray (mammogram) can be taken. The best time is after menstruation, when the mastopathy is less active. Cysts can also be examined immediately by ultrasound. Because mastopathy often affects the entire breast, surgical removal of the painful areas is not a first choice. Connective tissue nodules can be removed and cysts drained, but they often come back. It is more effective to take the contraceptive pill. It is also important to wear a good bra:preferably a sports bra without underwire, which provides good support for the chest all around. A cold compress in the bra provides relief from pain.'
When in doubt, always visit your doctor.
