Intermittent breast pain, also called mastalgia, is common in younger women that are still going through menstrual cycles. Older women can experience breast pain for reasons unrelated to menstruation. Approximately 10 percent of all women will experience breast pain.
Cyclical Breast Pain
Young women can experience intermittent breast pain during the month as it relates to hormone changes during the month preparing for their menstrual cycle. This type of breast pain is called cyclical breast pain.
Non-Cyclical
Non-cyclical breast pain can occur for many reasons; an infection, a cyst, a benign tumor, a pulled muscle or rarely cancer. According to the PubMed website, "The risk of cancer in a woman presenting with breast pain as her only symptom is extremely low."
Symptoms
Breast pain can occur in one or both breasts. Sometimes it will be felt as a sharp shooting pain or a dull heavy ache. For cyclical breast pain your breast may swell up a week before your period starts and feel tender or painful.
Rarely Cancer
Non-cyclical breast pain is harder to diagnose because of the various reasons for the pain. According to Harvard Health, your doctor, "will take a careful history to try to rule out any conditions outside the breast. Your risk for breast cancer will be assessed, including a breast examination and a check of your chest wall and underarms."
Infection
Pain in the breast due to an infection will most likely be accompanied by a rash, boil or a red lump. Your doctor will rule out cancer and treat the infection with antibiotics if needed.
Biopsy
A breast tumor, cyst or cancer can be diagnosed with mammography, ultrasound or biopsy. Your doctor does a biopsy by taking a small part of the lump and having lab tests done to find out the cause.
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