Breast diseases include a wide range of conditions, from benign pathological processes to breast tumors.
A specialist obstetrician-gynecologist is often the first person women consult, in relation to the symptoms of breast lesion.
Symptoms of breast diseases. As a rule, patients complain on pain or the presence of a lump in the breast.
Some studies have shown that breast cancer was diagnosed in 6% of patients who complain, more often, on the presence of a lump in the breast. Therefore, it is important to carefully examine the patient if she has such complaints.
Medical history. Questioning patients is considered to be one of the most important steps to the initial assessment of any pathological process. In case of the complaints related to the breast, it is necessary to clarify the following information:
► localization of discomfort;
► duration of symptoms;
► how was the lump detected;
► presence or absence of nipple discharge;
► whether there are significant changes in breast size;
► whether the symptoms are related to the menstrual cycle.
In addition, it is worth to question about the presence of risk factors that would increase the possibility of malignancy. Risk factors for breast cancer:
► age;
► history of breast cancer;
► presence of atypical hyperplasia (ductal or lobular) on a biopsy performed earlier;
► inherited genetic mutations (BRCA1 and BRCA2);
► high density of breast tissue;
► first-degree relatives with breast or ovarian cancer, diagnosed at an early
age;
► early menarche (age less than 12 years) or late menopause (age over 55 years);
► absence of pregnancies that ended with childbirth;
► late age of the first child birth (over 30 years old);
► no history of lactation;
► radiation exposure (chest);
► long-term use of oral contraceptive pills;