Fibrocystic tissue

I am a 40 year old that has has several biopsies done for what appears to be fibrocystic disease.  All of the results have been negative for cancer, but the tissue that they removed with the last biopsy was very hard and leathery.  My surgeon has said that fibrocystic is normally cysts, but the tissue in my left breast is very fibrous and hard.  He has suggested hormone therapy for this condition because it is very painful.  I'm not real excited about this and wondered if anyone else had ever heard of this condition and what it might take to get rid of it or at least get the pain under control. I'm just very confused and depressed about this whole situation.  I have been dealing with this since last October. Thank you

[CCF-RN,MSN-JS]

Dear dsalem,  "Fibrocystic disease" is a sort of generic term to describe different breast symptoms.  Lumpy breasts can be a common situation and in breast exams what we keep a check on is if there are changes and evaluate to make sure there is not a problem.  Cysts are a fluid filled structures, fibrous tissue can feel hard and is a normal tissue - not a cancer.  

Breast pain is a common breast symptom.  The reason for breast pain is not clearly understood, and is not usually associated with breast cancer.  Sometimes it is associated with hormonal variations and is called cyclical breast pain.  Noncyclical breast pain does not seem to be linked to hormonal variations and is often localized to one area of the breast tissue.  Noncyclical breast pain may or may not be the result of an injury to the breast.

Breast pain is evaluated based on the history of the pain you would give to the health care professional, as well as a physical examination.  The need for further testing would be determined based on the above findings.  Some recommendations for treatment of breast pain involve simple comfort measures such as a supportive or exercise bra, or application of warm or cold packs.  Caffeine avoidance, limit salt intake and reduction of dietary fat may also help.  Evening primrose oil has also been used to some benefit.

In Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book (you can order a copy at your local library or bookstore) she has a good chapter discussing breast pain and "fibrocystic disease" the information may be of some benefit in terms of understanding and suggestions for relieving your discomfort.