Benign and Less Common Conditions of the Breast

Benign (Noncancerous) Breast Conditions

Experts at the Magee-Womens Breast Cancer Program also diagnose and treat a variety of benign conditions that affect the breast, including:

Mastitis

• Breast mastitis is an infection that grows in the breast and typically causes swelling and increased blood flow.
• Your breast may become painful, red, and warm to the touch.
• Mastitis is typically treated with antibiotics.
• Inflammatory breast cancer can sometimes mimic the symptoms of mastitis. If antibiotics do not help your condition, your doctor may suggest a screening for inflammatory breast cancer.

Abscesses

• An abscess, or collection of puss, can sometimes form in conjunction with mastitis (an infection).
• In addition to prescribing antibiotics to treat the mastitis, surgeons at the Magee-Womens Breast Cancer Program may surgically remove the abscess.

Nipple discharge

• Nipple discharge that is clear, green, or milky is unlikely to be cancerous.
• If the discharge is red or red-brown, suggesting that it contains blood, it might be caused by cancer. But, it's more likely caused by an injury, infection, or benign tumor.
• The fluid may be collected and reviewed under a microscope to see if any cancer cells are present.

Fibroadadenomas

• Fibroadadenomas are benign lumps that appear in the breast.
• They are distinguishable from cancerous lumps because they easily move around the breast and have clearly defined edges.

Less Common Breast Conditions

Other less common breast conditions we treat include:

Phyllodes tumors

• Phyllodes tumors are large, fast-growing tumors that form in the connective tissues of the breast.