Women's Health

Breast Care

Glossary of Terms

More information for breast care terms relating to:

Abnormal mammogram	Not usual or not normal. The types of abnormal findings on a mammogram include a mass, solid-appearing dense areas, calcifications and asymmetry. An abnormal finding is not unusual, particularly if a woman has dense or lumpy breast tissue. Most importantly, abnormal does not equal cancer. The vast majority of abnormal mammograms prove to be benign.
Abscess	A pocket of lymphatic fluids and cellular debris (pus) that forms as the body's defenses attempt to wall off infection-causing germs.
Adenoma	A benign tumor of glandular tissue. These tumors are often well-defined and usually stay contained. Fibroadenoma is a major cause of false positive readings in mammography.
Areola	The circular area of dark colored skin around he nipple on the breast.
Aspiration	Removal of fluid from a cyst or cells from a lump, using a needle and syringe.
Atypical	Not usual or not normal. Atypical cells are abnormal cells. They do not necessarily progress to cancer, but they are known to increase a woman's risk by four to five times.
Atypical hyperplasia	A benign condition in which the cells have abnormal features and are reproducing more rapidly than normal. Atypical hyperplasia moderately increases a woman's risk of developing breast cancer.
Average risk (for breast cancer)	A measure of the chances of getting breast cancer without the presence of any specific factors known to be associated with the disease.
Benign	Not cancerous. Benign growths do not invade nearby tissue or spread to other parts of the body. Benign breast conditions can cause pain, lumpiness, nipple discharge, and other problems.
Breast Self-Exam (BSE)	A procedure to examine the breasts thoroughly once a month to detect any changes or suspicious lumps. More information on Breast-Self-Exams.
Calcifications	Small deposits of calcium in breast tissue. Calcifications usually can't be felt, but they appear on a mammogram. Macrocalcifications (coarse calcifications) are usually not associated with cancer. Microcalcifications (fine calcifications) are usually benign but can sometimes indicate the presence of an early breast cancer when they are found in certain clusters.
Carcinoma	Cancer that begins in tissues covering or lining the surfaces of parts of the body such as the skin, uterus, lung or breast. Most cancers are carcinomas.
Chemoprevention	The use of drugs or vitamins to prevent cancer in people who have precancerous conditions or a high risk of cancer, or to prevent the recurrence of cancer in people who have already been treated for it.
Clinical breast exam	A physical examination by a doctor or nurse of the breast, underarm and surrounding areas.
Cyclic breast changes	Normal tissue changes that occur in response to the changing levels of female hormones during the menstrual cycle. Cyclic breast changes can produce swelling, tenderness, and pain.
Cyst	A fluid-filled sac or capsule. Cysts are quite common and rarely associated with cancer. A breast cyst often changes size with the menstrual cycle and caffeine consumption.
Cytology	The study of cells.
Dense breasts	The presence of more glandular tissue than fat. Younger women's breasts are normally dense. As women age, there's less breast tissue left and more fat. Denseness makes it more difficult to read a mammogram. More information about the anatomy of the breast.
Duct	A hollow structure in the breast through which milk passes from the milk gland (lobule) to the nipple. See anatomy of the breast.
Ductal ectasia	A benign breast condition where the ducts become dilated and sometimes inflamed. This often leads to nipple discharge and can result in a lump in the nipple area or nipple retraction, but is not usually related to a cancerous condition.
Ductal lavage	A minimally invasive method of collecting cells inside the milk ducts.
Ductal papilloma	Small non-cancerous growths in the mammary ducts that may cause a bloody nipple discharge.
False negative mammogram	A mammogram that misses cancer when it is present.
False positive mammogram	A mammogram that indicates breast cancer is present when the disease is truly absent.
Fat necrosis	A benign breast change where a firm, irregular mass of dead fat cells forms as a result of trauma to the breast. It may appear years after the injury.
Fibroadenoma	Benign breast lumps made up of normal breast cells. They are firm, rubbery, movable and often rounded and are most commonly found in younger women.
Fibrocystic breast condition	A benign breast condition caused by cyclical hormones. Multiple cysts of various sizes develop in one or both breasts and can cause discomfort or pain that fluctuates with the menstrual cycle.
Galactocele	A clogged milk duct, often associated with childbirth.
Generalized breast lumpiness	Benign breast irregularities and lumpiness. Sometimes called "fibrocystic disease" or "benign breast disease."
Hyperplasia	Excessive growth of cells that is benign. Several types of benign breast conditions involve hyperplasia.
In situ	A term that refers to cancers that have not grown beyond their original site.
Intraductal disease	Disease residing within the duct of the breast which may be benign or malignant.
Inverted nipple	The turning inward of the nipple. Usually a congenital condition; but, if it occurs where it has not previously existed, it can be a sign of breast cancer.
Lactation	Process of being able to produce milk from the breasts.
Lesion	Any abnormal area of tissue. Can be used to describe a benign or malignant growth.
Lifetime risk (for breast cancer)	Lifetime risk is vastly different than age-specific risk. Meaning that between the ages of 30 to 40, for instance, your risk of developing breast cancer is 1 in 252 (or 0.3%). Because breast cancer risk becomes greater as women age, the 1 in 8 figure simply says that a woman born today has that chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer sometime during her life. For more information on lifetime risk for breast cancer, read "Why you Shouldn't Be a Breast Phobic."
Lipoma	A benign fatty tumor which forms a lump.
Lobules	Milk-producing glands of the breast. See anatomy of the breast.
Lump	Any kind of abnormal mass.
Malignancy	State of being cancerous.
Mastalgia	Pain occurring in the breast.
Mastitis	Infection of the breast.
Neoplasia	Abnormal new growth of cells. Neoplasms may be benign or malignant, but the term is usually used to describe a cancer.
Nodularity	Increased density of breast tissue, most often due to hormonal changes, which cause the breast to feel lumpy in texture. It usually occurs in both breasts and is not a risk factor for breast cancer.
Pathology	The study of disease through the microscopic examination of body tissues and organs.
Sarcoma	Tumors that arise from bone, muscle, fat, or connective tissue.
Sclerosing adenosis	A benign breast disease that involves the excessive growth of tissues in the breast's lobules.
Tumor	An abnormal growth of tissue. Tumors may be either benign or cancerous.