Doctor tells Healthy Woman crowd: Lumps not always cancer

Dr. Ravinder Machra of Dyersburg Internal Medicine Clinic tells women about the various kinds of lumps and bumps they may feel in their breasts. While many of the lumps are not dangerous, a physician should check each one to rule out breast cancer.

If a woman finds a lump in her breast, it doesn't automatically mean that she has cancer.

Women's breasts go through many changes in a lifetime, Dr. Ravinder Machra said. Eight out of every 10 lumps are not cancerous - especially in younger women. But, it pays to be cautious.

"If (breast cancer) is diagnosed early, most women can be cured," Machra told those attending the October Healthy Woman program: "Knowledge is Power: Lumps and Bumps Don't Always Mean Breast Cancer."

Besides cancer, these lumps and bumps could be caused by:

* Fibroadenomas. These are benign breast tumors made of both connective tissues and breast tissues. These are common in women under the age of 40. They are usually round, well defined, painless and mobile.

* Fibrocystic changes. Several lumps may appear in both breasts as the result of hormonal fluctuations influencing lobes, ducts and connective breast tissues. This condition used to be called fibrocystic disease and it may cause breast pain, swelling or thick areas.

* Cysts. Breast cysts are fluid-filled cavities in the breasts and are very common. They are found in one out of every three women between the ages of 35 and 50.

* Atypical hyperplasia, or an overgrowth of cells.

* Adenosis, or enlarged breast lobules.

* A single papilloma, or a growth of gland tissue in the breast duct.

* Fat necrosis, or scar tissue as a result of an injury.

* Mastitis, or a breast infection. This is common among nursing mothers.

* Duct ecstasia, or a blocked breast duct.

* Lipomas, or fatty tumors. These are painless and may occur anywhere.

Generally, lumps that are tender and warm to the touch are more likely to be breast infections. "Most breast cancer is not painful," the internal medicine physician said.

The important thing is to find the lumps and bumps early - either through a breast examination or a mammogram - and have them checked by a physician.

Doctors recommend mammograms every year or every other year for women ages 40-49. "After 50, there is no excuse for missing it," Machra said. Women who are concerned about discomfort should schedule the mammogram immediately after a menstrual period.

Mammograms are valuable diagnostic tools, giving physicians a non-invasive view of breast tissues. One in 10 women receiving a screening mammogram will be asked to return for more detailed X-rays. For every 1,000 women who obtain mammograms, two to four will be diagnosed with cancer, Machra said.

National statistics estimate 192,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. Certain groups of women face a higher risk.

Risk factors include:

√ Heredity. Scientists have isolated genes that predispose women to breast cancer. A woman who has the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes has a 60 to 70 percent chance of developing breast cancer. Machra said she does not recommend screening for the genes unless the patient has a mother or sister with breast cancer.

√ A personal history of breast cancer, colon cancer or ovarian cancer.

√ No pregnancies or delaying childbirth until after the age of 30.

√ Early menstruation or late menopause.

Some women may opt for a prophylactic oophorectomy, or removal of the ovaries, to reduce the risks of breast cancer, Machra said. The ovaries produce estrogen, which has been linked to breast cancer.

The Healthy Woman program is coordinated through the Dyersburg Regional Medical Center. Membership is free. Monthly programs focus on a variety of issues of interest to women. For more information, call Healthy Woman Coordinator Judy Boehmler at 287-2109.

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Healthy Woman plans to address women's urological problems Dec. 8 as Dr. Jack Monnig presents: "Gotta Go."

The free program begins at 11:30 a.m. at Lupo's Italian Steakhouse, 2320 Amanda Ave. A light lunch will be served. Reservations may be made by calling Healthy Woman Coordinator Judy Boehmler at 287-2109 or e-mailing her at Judy_Boehmler@chs.net.

Monnig, a urologist with the Dyersburg Urology Clinic, will discuss what happens when a sneeze does more than clear your sinuses. He'll also describe treatment options for urinary incontinence.

This is a repeat of Monnig's presentation in May. Boehmler said many people who were unable to attend last spring had asked that the program be repeated.

The program is a part of the Dyersburg Regional Medical Center's Healthy Woman program.