Mastopathy | Benign breast tumors

Mastopathy

The term mastopathy (Greek mastos = breast, pathos = suffering) covers a variety of diseases of the mammary glands that change the original breast tissue. The cause is a hormonal dysregulation.Presumably, this is primarily a shift in the estrogen-progesterone balance in favor of estrogen. Mastopathies are the most common disease of the female breast and usually occur between the ages of 30 and 50, often both breasts are affected.

Breast cancer can develop from these basically benign changes in the breast tissue, depending on the type and degree of mastopathy. The simple mastopathy is harmless and does not represent a precancerous stage of cancer, whereas the atypical mastopathy can develop into breast cancer in 3 – 4 % of cases. Moreover, a beginning breast cancer can also hide between purely benign changes.

The three main symptoms of mastopathy are lump formation (palpable hardening of the breast), pain and discharge from the nipples. The size of the nipples changes during the course of the female cycle, and is greatest in the second half. This is also the time when the pain in the breast usually occurs. All these symptoms can also occur with breast cancer.