The majority of breast masses are not cancerous, but rather blockages of the milk ducts.
Below the nipple of the breast, milk-producing ducts form large pores called lactiferous sinuses. These sinuses can act as milk reservoirs, but keratin, a fibrous protein found in the skin, hair and nails, may occlude the duct, which results in the formation of an abscess formation. This relatively harmless occurrence accounts for almost 85 percent of masses that form in breast tissue. Nonetheless, consult with a physician upon the development of any growth within the breast.
Malignant and Benign Masses
Malignant masses in breast tissue, or invasive cancers of the breast, most often occur in females older than 40 years with a family history of the disease. Other risk factors involve menarche, or menstrual flow, before the age of 12, the occurrence of menopause after age 55 and pregnancy after the age of 30. Whereas, benign masses include the development of cysts and fibroses -- collections of fibrous proteins in the breasts -- and are usually caused by hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle. Cysts are common occurrences that are found in approximately one-third of women between the ages of 35 and 50.
Hyperplasia
Hyperplasia of breast tissue is caused by the uncontrolled growth of cells in the ducts of the breasts and occurs normally in one-fourth of women of all ages. However, about 1 in every 25 will experience an atypical hyperplasia, which has an increased risk of malignant breast cancer.
Fibroadenoma
Fibroadenomas are the most common source of breast mass formation in females younger than 25. They occur in the ducts of the breast and appear as individual, "rubbery," but painless masses ranging from 1 to 5 cm in diameter.
Phyllodes Tumor
A Phyllodes tumor is basically an overgrown fibroadenoma, which is typically benign, but can metastasize in almost 10 percent of patients. These tumors appear as large, individual, firm masses that normally appear in women in their 40s or 50s.
Breast Abscesses
Staphylococcus aureus and streptococcal bacteria are the most common bacterial organisms recognized as the causative agents of abscesses in the breast. Other less common causes include Staphylococcus epidermidis, Peptostreptococcus species and Escherichia coli, which are bacteria normally carried by most people. They cause problems when they grow in areas that cannot keep their numbers in check through competition with populations of other bacteria.
Fallopian Tube Carcinoma
A study appearing in the March 2011 issue of "Radiographics" documented the relationship between primary fallopian tube carcinoma, PFTC, and breast cancer. The authors urged an improved use of imaging technologies to diagnose a wide range of ailments that affect the fallopian tubes and can often metastasize to the breast tissue in the form of breast cancer. The study stated that the most common form of PFTC is pelvic inflammatory disease, which may be underestimated in the female population. The authors found that PFTC has distinctive imaging features that can be a benefit in its detection to distinguish this condition from other pelvic masses that can migrate to the breasts.
Diagnosis of Breast Cancer
The March 2011 issue of "Academic Radiology" included a study that investigated various methods in the diagnosis of breast metastases from malignant cancers not originating in the breasts. The researchers' goal was to estimate the occurrences of metastases from nonmammary malignancies and to illustrate their appearances obtained by radiological examination. They chose both male and female patients and used computer-assisted tomography, a computer generated picture of the breast tissue, and compared this technique to conventional mammography and magnetic resonance imaging, MRI. The authors found that a combination of imaging was necessary to accurately characterize and diagnose masses in the breasts, as each method had specific benefits and deficits.
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