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Treatments for Fibrocystic breasts
Treatments for Fibrocystic breasts
The list of treatments mentioned in various sources for Fibrocystic breasts includes the following list. Always seek professional medical advice about any treatment or change in treatment plans.
- Watchful waiting - often no treatment is required if they cause no symptoms.
- Vitamin B6
- Evening primrose oil
- Hormone treatments - mainly for mastalgia
Fibrocystic breasts: Is the Diagnosis Correct?
The first step in getting correct treatment is to get a correct diagnosis. Differential diagnosis list for Fibrocystic breasts may include:
Fibrocystic breasts: Marketplace Products, Discounts & Offers
Products, offers and promotion categories available for Fibrocystic breasts:
Fibrocystic breasts: Research Doctors & Specialists
- Pregnancy & Fertility Health Specialists:
- Womens Health Specialists:
- Cancer Specialists:
- Lung Health Specialists (Pulmonologist):
- more specialists...»
Research all specialists including ratings, affiliations, and sanctions.
Hospitals & Medical Clinics: Fibrocystic breasts
Research quality ratings and patient incidents/safety measures for hospitals and medical facilities in specialties related to Fibrocystic breasts:
- Cancer (Oncology) -- Hospital Quality Ratings
- Lung Health (Pulmonology) -- Hospital Quality Ratings
- Womens Health -- Hospital Quality Ratings
- more hospital ratings...»
Hospital & Clinic quality ratings » »
Choosing the Best Treatment Hospital: More general information, not necessarily in relation to Fibrocystic breasts, on hospital and medical facility performance and surgical care quality:
- 50 Best Hospitals Report
- Women's Health Best Hospitals
- Patient Safety
- Hospital Quality and Clinical Excellence Study (2009)
Book Excerpts: Treatment of Fibrocystic breasts
- Treatment - Breast Masses
- Treatment - Breast Pain & Discharge
- Treatment - Breast cancer
- Treatment - Mastitis and breast engorgement
- Patient counseling - Breast nodule [Breast lump]
- Patient counseling - Breast pain [Mastalgia]
- Treatment - Breast cancer
- Patient counseling - Breast nodule
- Nursing considerations - Breast nodule [Breast lump]
- Nursing considerations - Breast pain [Mastalgia]
Treatments of Fibrocystic breasts: Online Medical Books
16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the treatments of Fibrocystic breasts.
Breast Masses:
Treatment
(In a Page: Signs and Symptoms)
-
Fibroadenoma
–Requires surgical excision for diagnosis and treatment
–Routine follow up after excision (no increased risk of malignancy)
-
Fibrocystic changes
–Caffeine avoidance is often effective
–Aspirate large or painful cysts
–Vitamin E is used to reduce fibrocystic changes
–Medical therapies (e.g., danazol, oral contraceptives) for pain relief
–Routine follow up is sufficient unless cytologic atypia is present
-
Breast cancer
–Consultation with medical and radiation oncologist
–Surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and/or hormonal therapy as indicated by stage
–Needle aspiration is usually curative
Source: In a Page: Signs and Symptoms, 2004
Breast Pain & Discharge:
Treatment
(In a Page: Signs and Symptoms)
-
Fibrocystic changes
–Caffeine avoidance is often effective in decreasing pain
–Aspirate cysts or medical therapies (e.g., danazol, oral contraceptives, tamoxifen, bromocriptine, evening primrose oil, GnRH agonists, vitamin E) for pain relief
–Routine follow up is sufficient unless cytologic atypia is present
Source: In a Page: Signs and Symptoms, 2004
Breast cancer:
Treatment
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Much controversy exists over breast cancer treatments. In choosing therapy, the patient and physician should take into consideration the stage of the disease, the woman's age and menopausal status, and the disfiguring effects of the surgery. Treatment of breast cancer may include one or any combination of the following:
❑Surgery involves either mastectomy or lumpectomy. A lumpectomy may be done on an outpatient basis and may be the only surgery needed, especially if the tumor is small and there's no evidence of axillary node involvement. In many cases, radiation therapy is combined with this surgery.
A two-stage procedure, in which the surgeon removes the lump and confirms that it's malignant and then discusses treatment options with the patient, is desirable because it allows the patient to participate in her plan of treatment. Sometimes, if the tumor is diagnosed as clinically malignant, such planning can be done before surgery. In lumpectomy and dissection of the axillary lymph nodes, the tumor and the axillary lymph nodes are removed, leaving the breast intact. A simple mastectomy removes the breast but not the lymph nodes or pectoral muscles. Modified radical mastectomy removes the breast and the axillary lymph nodes. Radical mastectomy, the performance of which has declined, removes the breast, pectoralis major and minor, and the axillary lymph nodes.
The spread of breast cancer to regional lymph nodes is considered a vital prognostic indicator. Sentinel lymph-node biopsy, a reliable and minimally invasive procedure, is used to identify and sample the sentinel lymph node closest to the breast tumor. During the patient's surgery, the axillary node is injected with dye to help with identification and then sent to the pathologist to assess for cancer spread. If the node is negative, the patient can be spared an axillary node dissection, which carries its own risks and the potential for long-term complications .
Reconstructive breast surgery can be performed at the same time as mastectomy or it can be planned for a later date. Several options are available for breast reconstruction, including the insertion of breast implants or a transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap.
❑Chemotherapy, involving various cytotoxic drug combinations, is used as either adjuvant or primary therapy, depending on several factors, including the TNM staging and estrogen receptor status. The most commonly used antineoplastic drugs are cyclophosphamide, fluorouracil, methotrexate, doxorubicin, vincristine, and paclitaxel. A common drug combination used in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women is cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and paclitaxel.
Tamoxifen, an estrogen antagonist, is the adjuvant treatment of choice for postmenopausal patients with positive estrogen receptor status. It's also been found to reduce the risk of breast cancer in women at high risk.
❑ Peripheral stem cell therapy is an option, but it's rarely used for advanced breast cancer.
❑ Primary radiation therapy before or after tumor removal is effective for small tumors in early stages with no evidence of distant metastasis; it's also used to prevent or treat local recurrence. Presurgical radiation to the breast in inflammatory breast cancer helps make tumors more surgically manageable.
❑ Estrogen, progesterone, androgen, or antiandrogen aminoglutethimide therapy may also be given to breast cancer patients. The success of these drug therapies — along with growing evidence that breast cancer is a systemic, not local, disease — has led to a decline in ablative surgery.
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Mastitis and breast engorgement:
Treatment
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Antibiotic therapy, the primary treatment for mastitis, generally consists of oral cephalosporins, cloxacillin, or dicloxacillin to combat staphylococcus; azithromycin may be used in patients allergic to penicillin. Although symptoms usually subside 2 to 3 days after treatment begins, antibiotic therapy should continue for 10 days. Other appropriate measures include analgesics for pain and, rarely, when antibiotics fail to control the infection and mastitis progresses to breast abscess, incision and drainage of the abscess.
The goal of treatment of breast engorgement is to relieve discomfort and control swelling, and may include analgesics to alleviate pain, and ice packs and an uplift support bra to minimize edema. Rarely, oxytocin nasal spray may be necessary to release milk from the alveoli into the ducts. To facilitate breast-feeding, the mother may manually express excess milk before a feeding so the infant can grasp the nipple properly.
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Breast nodule [Breast lump]:
Patient counseling
(Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition))
When teaching patients how to perform breast self-examination, advise them to do the examination 5 to 7 days after the first day of their last menstrual period.
Source: Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition), 2006
Breast pain [Mastalgia]:
Patient counseling
(Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition))
Advise the patient to wear a bra that cups and supports the entire breast and has wide shoulder and back straps. Warm or cold compresses may be helpful. Teach the patient how to perform breast self-examination, and instruct her to call the physician immediately if she detects any breast changes.
Source: Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition), 2006
Breast cancer:
Treatment
(Handbook of Diseases)
Much controversy exists over breast cancer treatments. In choosing therapy, the patient and physician should consider the stage of the disease, the woman’s age and menopausal status, and the disfiguring effects of the surgery. Treatment for breast cancer may include one or any combination of the following.
Surgery
With breast cancer, surgery involves either lumpectomy or mastectomy. A lumpectomy may be done on an outpatient basis and may be the only surgery needed, especially if the tumor is small and there’s no evidence of axillary node involvement. Radiation therapy is often combined with this surgery.
A two-stage procedure, in which the surgeon removes the lump, confirms that it’s malignant, and discusses treatment options with the patient, is desirable because it allows the patient to participate in her treatment plan. Sometimes, if the tumor is diagnosed as malignant, such planning can be done before surgery. In lumpectomy and dissection of the axillary lymph nodes, the tumor and the axillary lymph nodes are removed, leaving the breast intact.
A simple mastectomy removes the breast but not the lymph nodes or pectoral muscles. A modified radical mastectomy removes the breast and the axillary lymph nodes. A radical mastectomy, the performance of which has declined, removes the breast, the pectoralis major and minor, and the axillary lymph nodes.
After a mastectomy, reconstructive surgery can create a breast mound if the patient desires it and doesn’t have evidence of advanced disease.
Chemotherapy, tamoxifen, and peripheral
stem cell therapy
Various cytotoxic drug combinations are used as either adjuvant or primary therapy, depending on several factors, including staging and estrogen receptor status. The most commonly used antineoplastics are cyclophosphamide, fluorouracil, methotrexate, doxorubicin, vincristine, paclitaxel, and prednisone. A common drug combination used in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women is cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil.
Tamoxifen, an estrogen antagonist, is the adjuvant treatment of choice for postmenopausal patients with positive estrogen receptor status.
Peripheral stem cell therapy may be used for patients with advanced breast cancer.
Primary radiation therapy
Used before or after tumor removal, primary radiation therapy is effective for small tumors in early stages with no evidence of distant metastasis; it’s also used to prevent or treat local recurrence. Presurgical radiation to the breast in patients with inflammatory breast cancer helps make tumors more surgically manageable.
Other drug therapy
Breast cancer patients may also receive estrogen, progesterone, androgen, or antiandrogen aminoglutethimide therapy. The success of these drug therapies with growing evidence that breast cancer is a systemic, not local, disease has led to a decline in ablative surgery.
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Breast nodule:
Patient counseling
(Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses)
When teaching patients how to perform breast self-examination, advise them to do the examination 5 to 7 days after the first day of their last menses.
Advise the patient with mastitis to pump her breasts to prevent further milk stasis, to discard the milk, and to substitute formula until the infection responds to antibiotics.
Source: Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses, 2007
Breast nodule [Breast lump]:
Nursing considerations
(Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms)
▪ Provide a simple explanation of your examination, and encourage the patient to express her feelings.
▪ Prepare the patient for diagnostic tests, which may include transillumination, mammography, thermography, needle aspiration or open biopsy, and cytologic examination of nipple discharge.
▪ Postpone teaching the patient how to perform breast self-examination until she overcomes her initial anxiety at discovering a nodule.
▪ Although most nodules occurring in the breast-feeding patient result from mastitis, the possibility of cancer demands careful evaluation.
Patient teaching
▪ Advise the patient with mastitis to pump her breasts to prevent further milk stasis, to discard the milk, and to substitute formula until the infection responds to antibiotics.
▪ Explain the importance of clinical breast examination and mammography following the American Cancer Society guidelines.
▪ Teach the patient how to perform breast self-examination.
▪ Explain how to treat mastitis.
▪ Teach the patient about the cause of the breast nodule and the treatment plan after a diagnosis is established.
Source: Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms, 2007
Breast pain [Mastalgia]:
Nursing considerations
(Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms)
▪ Provide emotional support for the patient.
▪ Prepare the patient for diagnostic tests, such as mammography, ultrasonography, thermography, cytology of nipple discharge, biopsy, or culture of any aspirate.
Patient teaching
▪ Explain the importance of clinical breast examination and mammography following the American Cancer Society guidelines.
▪ Teach the patient how to perform breast self-examination.
▪ Explain the use of warm or cold compresses.
▪ Instruct the patient on the correct type of brassiere.
▪ Teach the patient about the cause of her breast pain and the treatment plan after a diagnosis is established.
Source: Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms, 2007
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