Anyone tired yet, LOL!

What Signs Suggest a Lump is Likely to Be Cancerous?

It is not possible for a woman or a physician to know for certain whether a breast lump indicates breast cancer until imaging exams (such as mammography and ultrasound) and/or biopsy are performed. A breast biopsy involves taking a sample of breast tissue and examining it under a microscope to determine whether it contains cancer cells. However, there are certain characteristics associated with lumps that can suggest whether they are more likely to be cancer or benign (non-cancerous).

Signs that suggest a lump is more likely to be cancerous:

* The lump is firm and hard
* The lump is not discrete; it is not easily distinguishable
* The lump is fixed in the breast; it does not move
* There is only one lump
* There is not an identical lump in the opposite breast
* The skin of breast is dimpled
* The lump is accompanied by bloody nipple discharge

Signs that suggest a lump is less likely to be cancerous:

* The lump is soft
* The lump is discrete; it is easily distinguishable
* The lump moves in the breast
* There are multiple breast lumps
* There is an identical lump in the opposite breast
* The lump disappears after the menstrual cycle

While the above signs can help suggest whether a lump is more likely or less likely to be cancerous, having one or more of these characteristics does not guarantee or eliminate the possibility of having breast cancer. These characteristics merely provide clues for the physician when evaluating a lump. Some breast cancers can have characteristics found in the “less likely to be cancerous” category. Therefore, all persistent breast lumps need to be presented to a physician.

This post is for the Blogathon 2006! I am blogging for The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. For more information about what I am doing, please click here!

Oh wow, we’re getting so close!!!

How Are Benign Breast Conditions Detected?

Benign breast lumps are often first detected by physicians during clinical breast examination, routine mammogram or by patients practicing breast self-examination (BSE). Focal pain (pain confined to one spot in the breast) or nipple discharge (other than milk) may also alert a woman to have her condition checked by a doctor. Benign breast lumps are usually confirmed by imaging tests (mammogram, ultrasound/sonogram), observing the lump over a period of time, or doing fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB), core needle biopsy (CNB) or surgical biopsy.

This post is for the Blogathon 2006! I am blogging for The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. For more information about what I am doing, please click here!

Geez! See, once more I’m affirmed in my faith in bloggers. I say that I’m going to try to start renting out my blog, I have never done anything with BlogExplosion before . . .

In under an hour, I have 3 bids. 3!!! Y’all soooo just made my night!

I’m gonna have to go with a first come first serve basis. I’ll do a nice purty post tomorrow to introduce you - ya know, once the Blogathon is over and all the non-psychotic people come back out to play!

New source: www.breastbiopsy.com

Fibroadenomas - Non-Cancerous Breast Lumps
Not all breast lumps are malignant (or cancerous). There is such a thing as benign (or non-cancerous) breast disease. The most prevalent, non-cancerous breast lumps are known as fibroadenomas.

Prevalence
Fibroadenomas occur in about 10 percent of all women and account for about half of the 1.6 million breast biopsies doctors perform each year in the US. They are common among girls in their teens and women in their twenties and thirties, but may occur at any age. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), fibroadenomas occur twice as often in African-American women.

About Fibroadenomas
Fibroadenomas are usually solid, round, non-cancerous tumors that feel like a marble within the breast. They can range in size from microscopic to several inches across and you or your doctor can feel them during a breast exam. Fibroadenomas may require removal if they cause pain, continue to grow or change in shape. Many doctors recommend removing them for biopsy to ensure they are not cancerous. Sometimes, new fibroadenomas may develop even after doctors remove old ones.

Detection, Diagnosis and Treatment
Most women detect fibroadenomas during a self-breast examination or your doctor may detect them during a clinical breast examination. Removing the lump may be necessary. Until now, most fibroadenomas have been removed using an open surgical biopsy method. Open surgical removal of fibroadenomas may involve the removal of nearby breast tissue which can cause scarring and breast disfigurement. And this method does require stitches and an incision 1- to 2-inches long.

This post is for the Blogathon 2006! I am blogging for The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. For more information about what I am doing, please click here!

I have been trying for over an hour to get on to the Internet on my computer. Finally, I booted up another computer - and it’s working! So why is the other one not? Sounds like something to do while I’m blogging. The latest adventure in my computer nightmare . . . so now I’m a post behind. I had something really funny all written up to, but of course it’s gone now. Siiiiigh.

What is a surgical biopsy?
An open surgical biopsy is a surgical procedure that removes the abnormality from the breast. It is done in a hospital or outpatient setting with anesthetic. Most women are able to go home the same day. There are two types of open surgical biopsies:

Incisional — Only a portion of the lump is removed. It is most often done on women with advanced stage cancer whose tumors are too large to be removed by excisional biopsy.

Excisional — The entire lump plus some surrounding normal tissue are removed. This is the most common type of open biopsy and the most accurate way to diagnose breast cancer. Although the primary purpose is to diagnose cancer, a biopsy can also be a surgical treatment to remove cancer.

This post is for the Blogathon 2006! I am blogging for The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. For more information about what I am doing, please click here!