Focal breast mass

A woman's health is in her hands. This especially concerns neoplasms that can arise and develop in her breast. A woman can detect a focal formation of the mammary gland on her own, by regularly examining her mammary glands, but only a specialist can correctly differentiate the disease.

In most cases, it turns out to be a benign tumor.

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Causes of a focal breast mass

Doctors believe that the main reason for the occurrence of any neoplasms of the mammary gland are changes affecting the hormonal background in the woman's body. The reasons for focal formation of the mammary gland can be voiced as follows:

• Increased production of estrogens. Hormonal imbalance occurs, in which excess of one hormone inhibits the synthesis and work of other hormones.
• The use of hormonal contraceptives without a preliminary analysis of the patient’s individual hormonal status can lead to a disruption of this balance.
• Some doctors believe that contraceptives themselves do not significantly affect the state of the hormonal area of the female body. But their long-term continuous use (more than five years) increases the likelihood of the formation and progression of both benign and malignant neoplasms in the mammary gland of a woman.
• Ovarian dysfunction is a serious disorder of the female reproductive system.
• Hormonal replacement therapy, often prescribed by a gynecologist to women in the pre-climacteric and climacteric periods, can trigger pathological formations. There are many cases when, while taking such medications, a mechanism is triggered in a woman that starts the process of forming new tissue cells.
• Endometritis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the inner part of the uterus.
• The impetus for such pathology can also be the psycho-emotional state of the fair sex, since this indicator quite actively affects the stability of the hormonal background. Some women can visually feel that after another quarrel or a tense stressful state, their mammary glands swell.
• Not the least important factor in the occurrence and formation of focal formations of the mammary gland is nutrition, which directly affects metabolic processes in the body. Overeating and excess weight have a particularly negative effect on the normal course of metabolic processes. Even a few extra pounds are enough to affect the work and condition of the mammary gland. After all, it is fat cells that contain estrogens.
• Diseases of the thyroid gland, infectious and inflammatory in nature.
• Salpingitis is an inflammation of the fallopian tube.
• Other pathologies of the uterus and appendages.
• Abortion or surgery affecting the pelvic organs. These medical procedures are a strong hormonal stress for the female body.
• Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine can also provoke a similar pathology.
• Some medical professionals believe that focal breast formation may be caused by dysfunction of the gallbladder and bile ducts.

Moreover, there is a rather unpleasant tendency: if a woman already has a neoplasm in another organ, then the likelihood of the appearance of a focal formation in the mammary gland increases significantly.

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Symptoms of a focal breast mass

If the neoplasm is small, the woman may not feel it physically. Such a pathology can be recognized only during the next self-examination of the woman's mammary glands or by a specialist during a routine or preventive examination. As the focal formation of the mammary gland progresses, its size continues to increase, and the process itself becomes more active. Gradually, this disease begins to manifest itself on the physical level, first causing the woman slight discomfort, and then a deterioration in her health.

As the disease progresses, the following symptoms of focal breast lesions may be observed:

• Pain symptoms appear, which increase in intensity as the pathology develops. The pain at the site of the neoplasm is nagging.
• When palpated, a hardened, painful node can be felt.
• When raising or lowering the arm, a woman can observe a change in the relief of the breast. The surface becomes bumpy.
• There is a feeling of “bursting in the chest”.
• Some of the above-mentioned neoplasms are capable of activating their manifestations only during menstruation. While the rest manifest themselves regardless of the phase of the menstrual cycle.
• A woman may feel a burning sensation in her chest.
• On the skin of the breast, which is affected by a progressive neoplasm, hyperemia (redness) may appear, which gradually acquires a bluish tint as the pathological neoplasm grows.
• With such a pathology, both transparent, slightly whitish, and blood-streaked discharges can be observed from the nipple. This fact indicates that the disease affects the ducts.
• A sufficiently large focal formation in the mammary gland can noticeably deform the affected breast.
• The growth of the formation weakens the body, therefore, if an infectious lesion joins the tumor, such a tandem can provoke the formation of abscesses, which, if there is an outlet to the ducts, show their presence with purulent discharge from the nipple.
• If a purulent process joins in, the patient's body temperature may be reflected on the thermometer as quite high figures, the mammary glands turn red, the lymph nodes begin to clearly appear against the background of the body, especially in the armpit area, on the neck or in the groin fold. It is worth noting that, unlike an infectious lesion of the lymph, this type of pathological influence can cause painful sensations.

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Forms

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Focal formation of the right mammary gland

Most neoplasms found in a woman's breast have a focal (nodular) characteristic and a benign orientation. A focal formation of the right mammary gland is a neoplasm that differs from healthy tissues of the body by its higher density. Nodules are mainly formed in certain places of the mammary gland and can be a monocapsule or a conglomerate of several neoplasms. At the same time, the size parameters can vary quite significantly.

In most diagnostic methods, the focal formation of the right mammary gland is benign, in which the tumor does not violate the functional integrity of the adjacent organs and does not grow metastases. The only thing is that with its significant size, the tumor can press on the adjacent tissues, interfering with their normal functioning.

There are several types of focal breast lesions of benign morphology:

• Mastopathy is a general term for a pathological condition of the mammary glands, accompanied by the appearance of seals and cysts of various sizes and shapes. This disease does not pose a danger to a woman's life, but there is a fairly high probability of the transformation of such formations into malignant tumors.
• A breast cyst is a pathological neoplasm that is a capsule of compacted glandular tissue filled with liquid or a viscous substance. The predominant location is the milk ducts. There may be either single or multiple tumors (polycystic).
• Fibroadenoma is a tumor (well-delimited compaction) that originates from glandular or fibrous tissues of the mammary gland, mainly having a lobular structure. This pathology is also represented by its differentiation by types: leaf-shaped form, which in almost all cases degenerates into cancer, and the usual one, which remains unchanged, not transforming into cancerous tumors.
• Lipoma is a tumor formed from the body's fat cells. It grows in the layers of subcutaneous connective tissue and can penetrate deep between the vascular bundles and muscle tissue. Lipoma is diagnosed quite rarely and is practically asymptomatic, but it has one unpleasant feature: if not recognized at an early stage of development, this tumor risks transforming into a rapidly progressing sarcoma.

If the patient's diagnosis includes the term "avascular neoplasm" next to the tumor name, this means that the tumor does not have capillaries supplying it with blood, and therefore the growth rate of such a pathology is low.

Less frequently, but still diagnosed are focal formations of the right mammary gland of a malignant nature. They also have their own varieties.

• A diagnosis of breast cancer may be made - a malignant tumor of glandular tissue, characterized by fairly aggressive growth and the ability to actively metastasize.
• Lymphoma is an oncological disease of the lymphatic tissue that affects the lymphatic system. It is characterized by enlargement of the lymph nodes and/or damage to various internal organs, in which there is an uncontrolled accumulation of "tumor" lymphocytes.
• Sarcoma is a cancerous formation that develops from connective, soft or supporting tissue. The growth rate of such tumors and metastases is quite high, which is fraught with a high percentage of fatal cases.

Based on the above, we can conclude that if a woman finds a lump in her breast during palpation, she should, without delay, seek advice from a doctor - a mammologist. Only a specialist can establish the correct diagnosis and give the necessary recommendations for the diagnosed disease, since even the most seemingly harmless formation may turn out to be malignant. Delay in differentiating the pathology and treatment, in the case of a serious diagnosis, can cost a woman her life.

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Focal formation of the left mammary gland

There are no special differences in genesis and pathogenesis between neoplasms affecting the left or right mammary glands. Therefore, focal formation of the left mammary gland is characterized by the same diversity as described above for pathological changes characteristic of the right gland of a woman's breast.

The term focal formation of the left mammary gland itself speaks of the limited locality of neoplasms. They can be differentiated as monotumors, or they can be a combination of several formations of different sizes. Depending on the diagnosed disease and the morphological affiliation of the cells, the neoplasm can be a compacted tumor with somewhat blurred contours, or it can be a clearly defined contour of a capsule with liquid or viscous filling.

A woman can recognize a neoplasm on her own by regularly feeling her mammary glands in front of a mirror. A gynecologist or mammologist can also recognize these nodes during a routine check-up. But only a specialist can make a correct diagnosis and prescribe adequate therapy.

If a woman feels a lump in her breast, she should not panic and run for help to old women and healers, placing all her hopes on traditional medicine recipes. This is not only wrong, but also dangerous. If a woman has a tumor that is not benign, but malignant, then precious time may be lost, during which this problem could be effectively stopped, and the body protected from more serious complications. Doctors know many cases when after "traditional treatment" a woman turned to a certified specialist, but medicine was already powerless to help her. In the best case, the patient lost her mammary gland, which the doctor had to resect, and in the worst case - her life.

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Diagnostics of a focal breast mass

If a woman feels unwell, feels a lump, or a pathology is discovered by a doctor during an appointment, an experienced mammologist is able to fairly accurately predict the structure of the neoplasm already during the first examination.

Further diagnostics of focal breast formation puts everything in its place, establishing the correct diagnosis. For this, the doctor performs:

• Palpation of the mammary glands.
• Complete blood count.
• Plasma test for hormone levels and composition.
• Ultrasound examination of the mammary gland is the most informative method of examining a woman's mammary glands. It is mainly prescribed to patients who are under 35 years old. For this age, ultrasound is considered the most accurate examination method. If a woman is of reproductive age, then such an examination is preferably carried out from the fifth to the twelfth day of the menstrual cycle. If there is no menstruation, then the time of the screening procedure is not significant.
• Mammography is a type of X-ray method with a lower radiation load. It is suitable for older women, and only if clinically necessary is an additional ultrasound examination prescribed. Mammogram shows medium and large formations, while smaller ones are detected by ultrasound. It provides information on the number of neoplasms and their shape.
• If the situation is severe, the mammologist may prescribe magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to his patient. This procedure is considered to be quite informative and safe, although the effect of magnetic fields on the human body has not yet been fully studied. Based on these facts, it is worth clearly understanding the obvious need for this study before agreeing to undergo it.
• If there is even the slightest suspicion of a cancerous nature of the neoplasm, the doctor may refer the woman for a biopsy – a study of the cellular structures of pathologically altered human tissues, in order to identify cell mutations and diagnose cancer. If histology shows a large number of epithelial cells or the aspirate (cell material removed during biopsy) has a brown or brown tint – this significantly increases the suspicion of the presence of cancer cells in the breast tissue.
• If necessary, examination of nearby lymph nodes.
• Doppler sonography is an ultrasound examination that makes it possible to determine disturbances in blood flow and the condition of the patient’s blood vessels.
• Chromoductography is an X-ray examination of the patient’s mammary glands using a contrast agent.

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Treatment of a focal breast mass

First of all, the treatment of focal breast formation largely depends on the specific disease diagnosed and the type of differentiated cells. In the case of a cancerous disease with minor metastasis and a benign tumor of significant size, the doctor will most likely choose one of the surgical intervention methods.

If clinically possible, the mammologist performs an organ-preserving operation, excising only the neoplasm itself with a small portion of the adjacent healthy tissues. But if, while preserving the breast, there remains even the slightest possibility of relapse, especially if these are malignant cells, then a total mastectomy is performed - complete excision of the affected mammary gland.

After which, if necessary, the doctor may introduce chemotherapy or laser therapy into the treatment plan.

If there is no such need, the woman is prescribed conservative treatment.

Conservative treatment of focal breast lesions

Hormonal drugs are the basic treatment for focal breast lesions. Based on the test results, a mammologist may prescribe:

Andriol capsules, the main component of which is the hormone androgen, which has the properties of male hormones. The drug is administered orally immediately after meals, with a sufficient amount of liquid. The starting dosage is from 0.12 to 0.16 g per day, divided into two doses. If an odd daily number of capsules is prescribed, then the larger dose is taken in the morning. The duration of administration is from two to four weeks (at the discretion of the attending physician), after which the dosage is reduced and is from 0.04 to 0.12 g per day.

Contraindications to the use of this drug are breast carcinoma or suspicion of its presence, as well as individual intolerance to the drug.

If a blood test shows increased estrogen activity, the doctor usually prescribes antiestrogens, which are designed to at least partially block their action. Thus, the following medications may be prescribed: zemid, cytofen, tamaxin, tamoxifen, tamoplex, tamoxifer citrate, zitazonium, valodex, fareston, tamofen, toremifene, nolvadex or noltam. Tamoxifen is administered orally in the form of tablets. The drug is mainly prescribed to the patient in an amount of 20 - 40 mg, taken once or twice a day. One course of treatment usually requires from 2.4 to 9.6 g of the drug. The duration of therapeutic therapy is from one to two months after the moment of disease regression.

It is not recommended to prescribe this medicine during pregnancy.

If there is a lack of progesterone (female sex hormone) in a woman's body, its synthetic analogues can be prescribed. This can be dydrogesterone or duphaston.

Duphaston neutralizes the activity of estrogen, reducing its ability to cyclically change tissue in the mammary glands. The recommended dosage of the hormonal drug is one tablet (or 10 mg of the active ingredient), administered once a day. This drug is taken by the patient for 14 days of several subsequent menstrual cycles.

Often, a woman has to use prolactin group drugs, such as parlodel, ronalin, abergin, bromocriptine, which is responsible for prolactin - a hormone that participates in the production of milk by the mammary glands. This drug (bromocriptine) is prescribed three tablets (which corresponds to 7.5 mg of the drug) throughout the day. This dosage is maintained for the first three days. After that, the dosage is reduced to one or two tablets (which corresponds to 2.5 - 5 mg of the drug). After two to three weeks, the amount of the drug administered is adjusted again and is one tablet (2.5 mg) once a day. The general course of therapy can last from six to eight months.

Contraindications to the drug include individual intolerance to the components of the drug, hypotension, severe heart disease, gastrointestinal tract diseases, problems with peripheral vessels in the patient, and the first trimester of pregnancy.

In order to reduce the stressful state of a woman, which also has a negative impact on the hormonal background of a person, sedatives are often included in the treatment protocol for focal formation of the mammary gland. This can be tablets or tincture of valerian or motherwort root, as well as other drugs with sedative characteristics, for example, Novo-Passit.

The sedative drug Novo-Passit is taken by the patient at 5 mg of the drug, three times a day. In case of clinical necessity, the single amount of the drug administered can be increased to 10 ml. If the patient has some degree of inhibition, the dosage can be spread out: in the morning - 2.5 ml, at lunch - 2.5 ml, and before bed - 5 ml.

It is not recommended to prescribe this drug to patients who have a history of muscle weakness or individual intolerance to the components of the drug.

If the source of the pathology is the thyroid gland, iodine preparations are mandatory, since this element normalizes its function. After all, the thyroid gland is responsible for the balance of hormones in the woman's body, so a sufficient amount of iodine becomes a reliable barrier to the emergence and development of neoplasms.

Iodomarin is an iodine-containing drug prescribed in a daily dosage of 300 to 500 mg. The duration of the treatment course is from six months to a year.

It is not recommended to take the drug if the patient suffers from hyperthyroidism, intolerance to iodine preparations, thyroid adenoma of toxic genesis, Duhring's dermatitis herpetiformis.

To stop a possible inflammatory process occurring in the female body, anti-inflammatory and enzymatic drugs are introduced into the therapy protocol. For example, mulsal or lidase.

A medicinal product with enzymatic activity, lidase is administered to the patient under the skin or intramuscularly. The contents of the vial are mixed with 1 ml of sodium chloride (isotonic solution) or the same amount of 0.5% novocaine solution. Injections are given every day or every other day. The average course of treatment is six to fifteen injections. The medicinal product lidase is contraindicated when a woman is diagnosed with a malignant neoplasm. It would also be a good idea to take vitamin complexes, which should support the body and enhance its protective functions.

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Prevention

To date, all the reasons for which the mechanism that triggers the pathological process of the origin and development of neoplasms is still not fully known. Based on this, prevention of focal formation of the mammary gland can only be of a recommendatory nature. But these recommendations, if they do not completely protect against the disease, will at least significantly reduce the likelihood of this pathology or allow it to be captured at an early stage of development, when it will be much easier to cope with the disease, and the consequences of therapy and complications are less destructive to the body.

• Every woman can independently detect compacted nodes in a timely manner. She should regularly, preferably once a month, examine and palpate herself in front of a mirror. This should be done in the first half of the menstrual cycle.
• It is advisable for a woman to give birth to her first child before the age of 30.
• Hormonal contraception methods should not be abused.
• It is worth giving up bad habits.
• Lead a healthy lifestyle.
• Minimize abortions and "cleansings".
• After the baby is born, it is necessary to breastfeed it. And it is desirable to do this for at least a year.
• Take medications based on hormonal components very carefully and in a very measured manner. If it becomes necessary to undergo a course of hormone therapy, it is worth undergoing X-ray monitoring once every six months. Ultrasound examination is powerless in this case, since such changes may not yet be visible on the screen.
• Spend more time outdoors, away from harmful industries.
• It is desirable for every woman to give birth to at least one child. In women who have not given birth and women who gave birth late, the risk of this pathology increases significantly.
• Balance your diet. A woman's diet should include more vegetables and fruits and less "harmful" food.
• Avoid stressful situations.
• Avoid overexerting your body: neither physical nor psychological.
• Do not ignore regular preventive examinations by a doctor, especially for women with a burdened heredity.

As soon as a girl reaches puberty, her mother should teach her these simple rules. This approach to her health will allow her to protect her body from many problems.

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Forecast

The answer to this question depends, first of all, on the nature of the diagnosed disease and the morphology of the cell involved in the "construction" of the neoplasm. If the tumor is benign and timely and adequate treatment is provided, then the prognosis for focal breast formation is quite favorable. With a scrupulous approach by a woman to the recommendations of a doctor - mammologist, her future life is quite capable of proceeding at a high quality level.

If the disease is neglected, then complications and losses are inevitable. The prognosis for focal breast lesions is less optimistic if they are cancer cells and were diagnosed late enough, when metastasis has spread to significant areas of the human body. In such a situation, there is no point in talking about a favorable outcome. There may be cases when even an experienced specialist is no longer able to help the patient. And as a result, the woman dies.

Today's difficult ecological situation and the rhythm of life in which we live provoke the development of multiple diseases in women. One of the most unpleasant and dangerous is focal formation of the mammary gland. But our fate and health, first of all, are in our hands. In connection with the above, every woman or girl should conclude for themselves that the more attentive they are to their body and organism, the more chances they have to emerge victorious from the fight for their health!

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