As it is known, the breast is an organ consisting of mammary glands and milk ducts and whose main function is to feed the baby after birth. Among the public, the word breast is incorrectly used to describe the breast. The terms breast mass or breast cancer should not be used as they do not medically refer to the breast. The chest area refers to the entire area between the abdominal cavity and the neck.
The breast tissue in men and women is structurally the same. In other words, there are mammary glands and milk ducts in the male breast, but since there is no hormonal effect that will enable the development of these tissues in men, the breast tissue remains small. For this reason, under the influence of some external drugs or hormones, male breasts can develop like female breasts. The female breast constantly changes under the influence of hormones during adolescence, menstrual periods, pregnancy and menopause. Many changes in the breast are completely natural and do not indicate any disease. Many conditions that affect women's hormonal status and regulation also change the breast tissue affected by these hormones. For this reason, various cysts, masses and some structural changes can be seen in the breast at different times.
DEFINITIONS
Breast masses can be seen in many different ways. Structurally, breast masses are divided into two: cystic and solid. There is also a condition called fibrocystic disease or fibrocystic breast, which is seen in the breasts of approximately half of women.
Cystic masses; or breast cysts are fluid-filled masses. If they are not too large, they may disappear on their own, especially after menopause. They are generally benign and do not need to be treated unless they cause complaints in the patient. But they must be followed. If a change in their structure is observed during follow-up, if their size increases significantly, or if their contents differ, a needle biopsy should be performed for diagnostic purposes.
Solid masses are solid masses. Although these are more likely to be malignant than cystic masses, not every solid mass means cancer. For example, fibroadenomas, which are one of the most common solid masses especially at young ages, are benign and may not be treated if they do not cause any complaints in the patient. r. But fibroadenomas must be followed up and diagnosed by needle biopsy when in doubt. Papillomas, which are solid masses seen in the breast, are generally seen within the milk ducts and cysts. Those within the ducts reveal themselves with nipple discharge, and even if they are benign, they must be diagnosed. Other common benign solid masses in the breast include lipoma, hematoma, galactocele, and fat necrosis.
Fibrocystic disease,; As mentioned above, it is a condition seen in approximately half of women. It manifests itself with different symptoms. It can be defined as the formation of condensation, irregularity and edema in the breast tissue that is open to hormonal effects, as a result of the imbalance of these effects or due to reasons arising from the structure of the breast tissue itself. The most common symptom is breast pain and tenderness, which becomes evident in the premenstrual period. The severity of this symptom may vary from patient to patient and even from month to month. In addition, cystic masses of various numbers and sizes may form in the breast in women with fibrocystic breast disease. From time to time, these masses can grow large enough to be palpable. All these symptoms should be treated when they reach a level that causes complaints in the patient. However, if it does not bother the patient much, it is sufficient to follow it at regular intervals. When changes detected during follow-up raise suspicion, diagnosis must be made by needle biopsy. In some women, fibrocystic breast disease may be advanced and cause complaints that affect the patient's life. In this rare case, it is possible to treat fibrocystic disease with some hormonal drugs. However, since it has some hormonal side effects, it is not a preferred treatment method. In patients with moderate complaints, attempts are made to relieve the breast tissue with some herbal medicines.
DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
As mentioned above, benign breast masses, If they do not cause any complaints in the patient or suspicion in the doctor, they may not be treated. However, there are indispensable steps to be taken in order to make this decision:
First of all, it must be ensured that the mass in question is benign. cystic mass Since dogs are generally benign, an opinion about their behavior can be made with ultrasound images. Cystic masses that are not very large, have homogeneous contents, smooth edges and do not cause any complaints in the patient can be monitored with ultrasound at regular intervals without biopsy. If they show growth, proliferation, structural change or solidification during ultrasound follow-up, needle biopsy is required. In simple cysts, the diagnosis and treatment are completed when the cyst contents are evacuated with a needle under ultrasound guidance. If it appears that solid masses are benign on ultrasound and mammography and a decision is made to not remove them and follow them up, it would be appropriate to perform a needle biopsy. After the type of mass is determined after the needle biopsy, they need to be followed radiologically at regular intervals and treated in case of any changes.
During the treatment phase, if the cystic masses are in the form of simple cysts, they can be evacuated with a needle under ultrasound guidance. The definitive treatment of benign solid breast masses is by surgical removal. Surgical removal of masses is today a simple procedure that can be easily performed with local anesthesia (numbing only that area) and does not cause any shape or function disorders in the breast.
To summarize, not every palpable tissue in the breast means a mass. Not every mass means cancer. Approximately one in 10 breast masses is likely to be cancerous. But even if it is thought and proven to be benign, every breast mass must be monitored at regular intervals and removed when in doubt. It would be wrong to wait until a lump is detected in the breast to have a breast check. It is necessary for every woman to have a breast check at least once a year, even if she has no complaints.
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