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Breast Cancer (Expert Forum)
brest pain, redness and discharge
Questions posted in the Breast Cancer Forum are answered by medical professionals from The Cleveland Clinic. Topics include Breast Biopsy, Chemotherapy, Hormone Therapy, Lumps, Lumpectomy, Lymph node dissection, Lymphedema, Mammograms, Mastectomy, Radiation Therapy, Reconstruction, Self Breast Exam, and Surgery.
brest pain, redness and discharge
by dnicole, Dec 11, 2001 12:00AM
I am 26 years old. A year ago 11/00 i had breast pain followed by a red swollen hot area followed by a lump and nipple discharge. I was referred to a specialist who diagnosed it as mastitis. I have never had any children. i was placed on antibiotics. The pain swelling and redness went away however the doctor actually went in and drained the lump. So i would assume it was a cyst. I did not ask as many questions as i should have i guess. i dont know much about this sort of thing. They didn't perform any biopsy's or mammograms or anything like that due to my age. Anyway, about4 days ago i noticed a painful lump in my right armpit followed by a painful one in my left and then last night felt the pain in my breast. This morning when i woke it was red hot and swollen. I did not detect any lumps with a self-exam. I guess my question is do you have any advice for me when i do go to the doctor. I am afraid that this will once again be treated the same way and will reappear again. I got the feeling last time that the doctors did not see any risk with me since i am only 26 and there is no history of breast cancer in my family. However my mother was diagnosed and treated successfully for colon cancer 3 years ago and she is only 36 now. Should i ask them to do a mammogram and should they do anything to test the tissue or cells in my breasts? Is this a common thing for someone of my age?
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-RN,MSN-rf, Dec 12, 2001 12:00AM
Dear dnicole: Typically, one hears about mastitis associated with breast feeding. However, since this is a breast cancer forum, the question about the incidence of mastitis in young women without children might be better posed to your doctor. Mammography is not generally recommended in young women (<35) because breast tissue tends to be dense, making interpretation of mammography very difficult. If there is a lump, an ultrasound may be valuable to determine if it is cystic. If a lump remains and can be felt, it might be valid to biopsy. It is a good sign that the problem resolved with antibiotics. You might consider an opinion with a medical breast specialist who can examine you and make recommendations as to appropriate interventions and follow-up.
Member Comments (1)
by sradharani, Mar 22, 2008 10:01AM
A related discussion, breast pain was started.
