Mammary-duct fistula is a communication between a subareolar duct and skin, usually occurring in the periareolar region. It often occurs spontaneously following underlying periductal mastitis but can also occur following incision and drainage of a…

Duct ectasia is a benign condition associated with loss of elastin within the walls of the duct, with an associated chronic inflammatory cell infiltrate.

This results in duct dilatation and shortening. Duct ectasia should be…

Breast cysts commonly occur in the fifth and sixth decades, with a peak incidence occurring around the age of 50. It can therefore be assumed that their etiology is related to an alteration in the overall…

Phyllodes tumors range from benign to malignant and often clinically mimic a fibroadenoma. They are, however, distinct neoplastic lesions derived from monoclonal stromal cells and because of their malignant potential are managed by surgical excision.

Hamartomas are rare and present as well-circumscribed, mobile lesions.

They are often impalpable and may be an incidental finding on screening mammography.

Radiology
Breast hamartomas are one of the few breast abnormalities that have characteristic…

Fibroadenomas have previously been regarded as benign neoplasms, but should now be considered as an aberration of normal development. The peak incidence occurs in the third decade. An increasing number of newly developed fibroademonas are being…

Various pathologic terms have been used in the past to describe nodularity.

Nodularity in the breast may be focal or generalized. This is such a common finding that it should be regarded as normal or a…

Due to the increasing awareness of breast cancer, most women now seek advice from their general practitioner about breast pain symptoms. Female patients may present with a variety of symptoms that can range from relatively…

A detailed history is obtained from each patient. This history should include risk factors for the development of breast cancer. Following this, a thorough clinical examination is performed.…

The vast majority of women presenting with breast symptoms will have an underlying benign etiology. Only 1 in 10 of all women referred to a specialist breast clinic will have breast cancer. After establishing…

The first patient scans from a custom-built scanner combining positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) technologies indicate that these scans could significantly improve breast cancer imaging…

Researchers have found a new family of therapeutic agents that interferes with the ability of estrogen to stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells. The results of…

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women in the United States and is second only to lung cancer as the most common cause of cancer-related mortality. In 2000, it is…

Historically, adjuvant chemotherapy has been tested in combination regimens, in which one multiagent regimen is cycled over time to allow recovery of normal tissues (in particular, hematologic recovery). The doses of each…

In order to decide which patients will benefit from the addition of adjuvant therapy, it is important to assess each woman’s risk of developing recurrent disease. Competing comorbid conditions…

The investigation of high-dose chemotherapy for the treatment of women with breast cancer was supported by laboratory findings that suggested a dose-response relationship for alkylating agents.

Medical advances…

In the chemotherapy overview analysis, 11 trials included women who were randomized to receive CMF versus an anthracycline-containing regimen (either doxorubicin or, in European trials, epirubicin). There was…

In a similar fashion to tamoxifen, the EBCTCG performed an overview of the worldwide randomized data for the use of adjuvant chemotherapy in early-stage breast cancer (almost 18,000 women randomized in 47…

Ovarian ablation is among the oldest treatments for metastatic breast cancer. Beatson first described the method in 1896 when he reported the dramatic shrinkage of tumor in three women with locally advanced disease.

Surgical oophorectomy…

Women randomized to 5 years of tamoxifen in the overview analysis were found to have a 47% (SD 9) reduction in the risk of…

The largest group of women in the 1995 analysis included almost 37,000 women randomized in 55 trials, all of which were designed to look at whether tamoxifen was an active agent in the…

The surgical management of breast cancer has undergone radical change in the last 40 years. While it used to be standard practice to perform mastectomies, new breast-conserving procedures have been developed…

The axillary surgery causes the bulk of postoperative discomfort for breast cancer patients, and minor complications are frequent. Seromas are frequently seen, especially if the drain is removed early. These can be managed…

The arm is draped free and rests on an arm board for most of the procedure.

During dissection of the apex of the axilla, the arm can be flexed and abducted to relax…