Breast Changes During Your Lifetime That Are Not Cancer

Posted: Oct. 1, 2005

You might notice different kinds of breast changes at different times in your life. Many of these are caused by changes in your hormone levels and are a normal part of getting older.

Younger women may have more glandular (more dense, less fatty) breast tissue than older women who have stopped having their period (menopause). This kind of tissue is where breast changes usually occur.

Before or during your period, you might have lumpiness, tenderness, and pain in your breasts. The lumpiness and pain usually go away by the end of your period.

During pregnancy, your breasts may feel lumpy, as the glands that produce milk increase in number and get larger. Still, breast cancer has been found in pregnant women, so talk with your doctor if you have questions about any breast lumps.

While breastfeeding, you may get an infection called mastitis that happens when a milk duct becomes blocked. Mastitis causes the breast to look red and feel lumpy, warm, and tender. Mastitis is often treated with antibiotics.

As you age, other breast changes are more common, such as:

• Intraductal papilloma. This is a growth inside the nipple that looks like a wart. It can be removed by surgery without changing the way the breast looks.
• Mammary duct ectasia. As you near menopause, ducts beneath the nipple can become swollen and clogged. This can be painful and cause nipple discharge. The problem is treated with warm packs, antibiotics, and sometimes surgery to remove the duct.

As you approach menopause, your periods may become less frequent. Changing hormone levels also can make your breasts:

• Feel tender, even when you are not having your period
• Feel more dense
• Feel more "lumpy" than they did before

If you are taking hormones, such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), birth control pills, or injections, when getting your mammogram be sure to let your doctor know. Hormones may cause your breasts to be more dense. This can limit your doctor's ability to read a mammogram.

When you stop having periods (menopause), your hormone levels drop, and your breast tissue becomes less dense and more fatty. You may stop having the lumps, pain, or nipple discharge you used to have. And because your breast tissue is less dense, mammograms can be easier to read. This means doctors are more likely to find breast changes or early breast cancer.

Source: National Institutes of Health

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