I don't know when the term "breast nodule" appeared more and more frequently around us.
When you take a shower: Oh my God, how did a little hard lump grow here?
Did a physical examination: found to have breast nodules, what to do?
Doctors let regular observation, what does it mean that breast nodules and breast cancer are related?
Look at the Internet many people say that breast nodules will disappear, there are also people afraid that breast nodules will develop into breast cancer, today Zhimei will come to tell you the truth.
First of all, it should be clear that the "breast nodule" on our medical report is not the name of the disease, but an image description.
Small breast masses found on ultrasound, X-ray, CT, and other imaging examinations can be called breast nodules when the nature is unclear [1].
This small mass may be a tissue change formed by hyperplasia, a benign tumor of the breast, or even breast cancer.
But in either case, once a breast nodule appears, most of the time it doesn't go away on its own.
But you don't have to panic too much about breast nodules, because breast nodules are mostly benign.
Benign breast nodule or BI-RADS grade 2/3 nodule health management is generally followed up, and surgery or biopsy is required only when the mass is rapidly growing [2].
It is generally related to the following factors:
Genetic factors
Breast cancer has a certain hereditary nature, if there is a family history of breast cancer, breast nodules are found, and it should be paid more attention to.
Endocrine factors
The mammary glands are regulated by estrogen-progesterone, and when endocrine disorders (such as the imbalance in the ratio of estrogen-progesterone) or when the body's hormone cycle changes during the menstrual cycle, the mammary glands will also change, forming hyperplasia or nodules.
Bad habits
Unreasonable high-fat eating habits [3], too little exercise will lead to fat accumulation in the body, smoking, drinking, late sleep and other bad habits, may induce breast nodules.
As a small white who does not understand medicine, when it comes to breast nodules, it is inevitable that cancer will be associated.
But breast nodules are a manifestation of a variety of breast diseases:
● Benign nodules such as breast hyperplasia, breast cysts, breast fibromas, etc., these benign nodules are almost not malignant.
● If the nodule is an intraductal papilloma of the breast, although it is also a benign tumor of the breast, there is a certain risk of malignancy, so the doctor will generally recommend surgical removal.
● Women over the age of 40, or women with a family history of breast cancer, who suddenly appear breast nodules require a high degree of vigilance against the possibility of malignancy.
How do you judge the probability of malignancy in breast nodules? In fact, we can observe the risk level of malignancy of breast nodules through a report: BI-RADS.
BI-RADS is a unified grading criterion for evaluating the benign and malignant nodules of the breast, which is expressed in 0 to 6, and the higher the number of progressions, the higher the degree of malignancy.
remind:
When the diagnosis is above the BI-RADS-4 category, considering a higher risk of malignancy, you should go to breast surgery as soon as possible and ask your doctor for a detailed evaluation.
All in all, if a breast nodule is found in the physical examination, follow the doctor's instructions for corresponding treatment, regular follow-up or go to the hospital as soon as possible, do not be too nervous, most benign nodules will not change.
Contributing Author
Wang Huiling | Deputy Chief Physician of General Surgery Department, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital
Reviewer
Shao Bin | Deputy Chief Physician, Department of Breast Medicine, Peking University Cancer Hospital
bibliography
Wu Zhaohan,Qin Xinyu,Ding Qiang. Practical Surgery (4th Edition)[M]People's Medical Publishing House, 2017.
[2] Fan Na,Gao Ying,Wei Wei,Li Shu,Tao Fengran,Jiang Yunwen,Zhang Qing. The influencing factors of benign breast nodule growth in women[J].Chinese Journal of General Medicine,2021,024(030):3799-3805.
Li Rui. Causes of risk factors for breast hyperplasia in women[J]. China Modern Pharmaceutical Application, 2010, 04(13):203-203.
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