3-D Mammography
Daina Pack, MD
BREAST LUMPS
Most Are
Normal
Don’t assume it’s cancer if you have a lump
You’ve found something no woman wants to feel: a lump in one of your breasts. at’s a
startling and scary discovery.
It’s natural to think the worst. But try to remember this: “ e vast majority of breast
changes, such as lumps, are not cancerous,” says Daina Pack, MD, a radiologist specializing
in breast imaging.
However, you’ll only know what’s causing the lump if you see your doctor. “He or she
can explore all the possibilities and hopefully put your mind at ease,” advises Dr. Pack.
“You should err on the side of caution and never ignore signs or symptoms.”
Normal breast tissue
Breasts have two main types of tissues: glandular tissues and supporting tissues. e
support tissue of the breast includes fatty tissue and brous connective tissue that give the
breast its size and shape. Any of these parts of the breast can undergo changes that cause
symptoms. ese breast changes can be either benign (non-cancerous) breast conditions or
breast cancers. e most common symptoms are likely to be caused by benign conditions.
“Normal breast tissue can feel like ridges or have areas of thickening,” says Dr. Pack.
“Often I see patients and what they are feeling is normal tissue.”
Breast lump basics
A variety of natural hormonal changes—including menstrual periods, pregnancy and
menopause—can cause lumpy breasts. Lumps can also result from a number of non-
cancerous (benign) conditions, such as the ones in this chart.
It’s important to let your doctor know about any changes you notice.
Benign conditions have many of the same symptoms as breast cancer,
so it can be hard to tell the di erence between benign and cancerous
conditions from symptoms alone. Your doctor can do other tests to nd
out exactly what is causing the breast change. Some breast changes may
not cause any symptoms and may be found only by a mammogram.
For a free
Breast Cancer
booklet, please visit
askAAMC.org/Magazine
or call
443-481-5555
.
Name
Description
Treatment
Cysts
›
A fluid- lled sac that feels like a lump or
tender spot.
›
Cysts grow to various sizes and rmness
and o en appear in both breasts.
›
Most common in premenopausal women.
›
Can become larger and more painful
around the time of a woman’s period.
›
Usually not removed.
›
Some women have painful,
persistent cysts drained.
›
If a cyst has solid parts, it
is considered a complex
cyst and more tests may
be needed.
Fibroadenoma
›
A smooth, rubbery or hard lump.
›
Tend to be oval.
›
Usually not removed
unless growing.
Sources: American Cancer Society; National Cancer Institute
Is it time for your mammogram? Schedule one now. Call
888-909-9729
. For more information, visit
AADImaging.org
.
3-D mammography
is an advanced
technology approved
by the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration
in February 2011. It
gives radiologists the
ability to view inside
the breast layer by
layer, helping to see the ne details
more clearly by minimizing overlapping
tissue. During a 3-D mammogram,
multiple low-dose images are obtained
at di erent angles and reconstructed
into “slices” of the breast. The
radiologist can view a mammogram in a
way never before possible.
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