Breast disorders may be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous).

Symptoms

Common symptoms include breast pain, lumps, and a discharge from the nipple. If a woman has any of the following symptoms, she should see her doctor:

• A lump that feels distinctly different from other breast tissue or that does not go away
• Swelling that does not go away
• Puckering or dimpling in the skin of the breast
• Scaly skin around the nipple
• Changes in the shape of the breast
• Changes in the nipple, such as turning inward
• Discharge from the nipple, especially if it is blood

Treatment

Surgery for breast cancer consists of two main options

• Breast-conserving surgery (in which only the tumor and an area of normal tissue surrounding it is removed)
  • Lumpectomy - In which a small amount of surrounding normal tissue is removeds.
  • Partial mastectomy - In which a somewhat larger amount of the surrounding normal tissue is removeds.
  • Quadrantectomy - In which one fourth of the breast is removed.
• Mastectomy - In which all breast tissue along with draining lymph nodes in the axilla are removed.