During our travels we come across many breast symptoms and conditions.  It is normal to feel anxious, embarrassed and very lonely when something out of the ordinary is discovered.  There can be great relief to have imaging done to obtain another perspective and share the burden. In the majority of cases, the condition is not cancer related.

DISCHARGE

Nipple discharge – the release of fluid from the nipple – is very common. This is the third most common reported breast problem after lumps and tenderness.

There are 15–20 milk ducts opening onto each nipple. Discharge can come from one or more of these ducts. Nipple discharge can:

• be spontaneous (fluid is secreted from the nipple without any squeezing of the nipple or pressure on the breast), or

• be on expression (fluid is secreted from the nipple when the nipple is squeezed or there is pressure on the breast)

• come from one breast (unilateral) or both breasts (bilateral)

• be clear, yellow, milky, brown, green, or bloodstained in appearance

• originate from one duct (one opening on the nipple) or more than one duct

 Physiological nipple discharge

Discharge of fluid from a normal breast is referred to as ‘physiological discharge’. It is usually yellow, milky, or green in appearance, does not occur spontaneously, and often originates from more than one duct. Physiological nipple discharge is no cause for concern. Milky nipple discharge is also normal during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

 When is nipple discharge abnormal?

Spontaneous nipple discharge unrelated to pregnancy or breastfeeding is considered abnormal. In most cases it has a benign (ie. noncancerous) cause, and is more likely to be unilateral, confined to one duct, and clear or bloodstained in appearance. Nipple discharge associated with other breast symptoms such as a lump, ulceration, or inversion of the nipple requires prompt investigation.

Breast cancer

Breast cancer is an uncommon cause of nipple discharge. Few women with breast cancer have nipple discharge, and most have other symptoms, eg. a lump or newly inverted nipple. Breast cancer that causes nipple discharge is likely to be benign or early invasive breast cancer rather than advanced breast cancer.

BREAST CANCER GROWTH RATES

Breast cancer is the growth of abnormal cells in breast tissue. These abnormal cells not only grow at an increased rate compared to normal cells but may also spread, invading other body tissues.

 Like a lot of cancers, breast cancer grows by simple cell division. It begins as one malignant cell, which then divides and becomes 2 bad cells, which divide again and become 4 bad cells, and so on. By the time you can feel it, a breast tumour is usually a little more than ½ inch in size – about a third the size of a golf ball. It has also been in your body long enough to have had a chance to spread.

Breast cancer doubles 30 times before it can be discovered. The average doubling time is 100 days, so it can take 8 years of growth until a tumour is visible on a mammogram.  Very fast tumours can have a doubling time of 25 days, and very slow breast cancers can have a doubling time of 1000 days. Research shows that tumours may vary their rate of growth over their lifetime.

 Depending on breast tissue density and structure, mammography is usually capable of finding breast tumours at approximately 1 cubic centimetre.  This is 30 doubling times and about 1 billion cells.

 With such a long lead time before becoming clinically evident, there is ample time to put in place effective imaging and health strategies to monitor and reduce risk.

  Five reasons to book your breast health imaging now:

1.  To map your breast lumps and reassure you they are benign.

2.  To confirm tenderness and pain is associated with hormonal changes.

3.  To highlight any early pathology that you may not yet have symptoms for.

4.  To obtain an assessment of your breast health, and what further action is required to reduce your risk of future diagnosis.

5.  To recheck your breasts and confirm there are no new changes.

Check locations and dates on the Locations page: www.safebreastimaging.com.au

Joanne Firth
Managing Director
Safe Breast Imaging

1300 310 820
0407 414 101
http://www.safebreastimaging.com.au
Watch the breast imaging procedure here:  http://www.vmbiz.com.au/safebreast.html
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Breast Health or Breast Cancer. You choose.