Lumps in the breasts

Alternative names:

breast mass; fibroadenoma

Prevention:

Avoiding excessive fat and caffeine in the diet may be helpful in avoiding fibrocystic changes in the breast tissue. Most of the associated risk factors for breast cancer cannot be controlled and, therefore, eliminate a means of primary prevention. Secondary prevention, early detection, and appropriate treatment early in the disease process may be promoted through routine breast self-examinations and screening mammography after 40 years of age.

Experimental studies are underway to determine if the drug tamoxifen can decrease the risk of breast cancer in women with a family history of breast cancer (mother, maternal aunts, and the affected individual's sisters). No results are expected for several years.