Fibrocystic breast disease: Does it increase the risk of breast cancer?

Fibrocystic breast changes do not increase the risk of breast cancer.

Women with fibrocystic changes have lumpy, tender breasts. These changes were once considered a disease and referred to as fibrocystic breast disease. But because this condition occurs so commonly in normal breasts, it is now considered a normal variation and most doctors refer to it as fibrocystic breast changes.

The most frequent cause of fibrocystic breast changes is fluctuations in hormone levels during a woman's menstrual cycle. These changes most often occur right before menstruation and include:

• Thickened, lumpy areas in the breast tissue
• Feeling of fullness in the breasts
• Pain and tenderness
• Noncancerous (benign) cysts
• Non-bloody nipple discharge

Although having fibrocystic breasts doesn't increase your risk of breast cancer, it may make it more challenging to do breast self-exams. For this reason, it is important to become familiar with how your breasts feel by monitoring for any new changes. If you choose to perform breast self-exams, review the technique with your doctor to ensure that you are doing it correctly. In addition, fibrocystic breast changes can make mammogram results more difficult to interpret due to increased breast density.

Consult your doctor if you:

• Have severe or persistent breast pain that doesn't fluctuate with your menstrual cycle
• Find a new change or lump in your breast that persists for two menstrual cycles