Bloody Discharge

Hi,
I have read many of the postings about this, but I cannot find my exact situation, so please bear with me.  My wife has had a clear spont. discharge from 1 breast 1 breast  very on/off for 4-6 months.  It stopped a few months ago, but just lately, it came back only bloody this time.  She has an appointment to get it checked out, but in the meantime....Is this something to be overley concerned about.

Thanks

[CCF-RN,MSN-JS]

Dear sailing, Spontaneous bloody discharge is a finding that should be followed up on.  There could be several different causes of bloody discharge from the nipple, such as, little wart-like growths, called papillomas that can cause bleeding.  Of concern is that cancer can also cause bloody discharge but this is not as common, however, because of the concern having it checked out is important.

[surgeon]

discharge from the breast is fairly common; some kinds are more of concern than others. In fact, it's clear discharge (like water) and bloody discharge that are of the most concern. However, even with these types, in most cases it turns out to be due to something other than cancer. But it definately needs to be pursued until there's a specific answer, which usually means some form of biopsy, which is a pretty minor procedure.