Who Develops Benign Breast Disease
Print PageIf you took conjugated equine estrogen (e.g., Premarin®) to control your menopausal symptoms, you have double the risk of developing benign breast disease.
Fibrocystic Breast Disease
About 30% of adult women have fibrocystic breast disease, characterized by fluid retention, hard lumps and fluid-filled cysts. Women 35 to 50 years of age are most likely to be affected.
Mastitis
About 1 in 20 women develop mastitis. Most are first- time mothers. The most frequent time mastitis develops is from Day 10 to Day 28 postpartum. Menopausal women often develop duct ectasia as a result of rapid hormonal fluctuations.
Sclerosing adenosis
Women in their teens and early twenties (especially oral contraceptive users) and Black women are most likely to develop adenosis (fibroadenoma). Pregnant and nursing mothers have larger adenosis.
Fatty necrosis
About 31% of obese women who receive breast-sparing irradiation therapy for cancer develop fatty necrosis or inflamed fat in their breast tissue, evidenced by dimpled skin. It is usually of no consequence.
Galactorrhea
One-quarter of all women experience inappropriate breast milk production at some time in their lives.
Noncancerous breast tumors
Women with breast hyperplasia (tissue overgrowth) may go on to develop cancer. The first sign is atypia (abnormal cells) found on fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNA).