Questions Your Doctor May Ask - and Why!
During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques in his assesment of the symptom: Breast pain.
These may include a physical examination or other medical tests.
Your doctor may ask several questions when assessing
your condition. It is important to remember that your consultation is a two-way process and any extra information
you can share with your doctor may help them with their diagnosis.
Some of the questions your doctor may ask are listed below:
- When did you first notice the breast pain?
Why: to establish if acute or chronic.
- Is it unilateral or bilateral?
Why: Unilateral breast pain suggests mastitis.
- Benign mammary dysplasia or advanced breast cancer. Note only 5% of breast cancers are associated with pain. In benign mammary dysplasia the ache may extend down inner aspect of the upper arm
- Is your menstrual period on time or overdue?
Why: to assess possibility of pregnancy as cause.
- Does breast tenderness and swelling increase before the menstrual period and settle after the menstrual period?
Why: suggests benign mammary dysplasia.
- Have you noticed "lumpiness" in your breasts in the past?
Why: suggests benign mammary dysplasia.
- Has the painful area been red or hot?
Why: may suggest acute mastitis (most common).
- Inflammatory breast cancer or mastitis carcinomatosa (rare form of breast cancer found in young women often whilst breast feeding, is red hot and often tender)
- Age?
Why: benign mammary dysplasia unlikely after menopause; breast cancer rare in age 12-25 and uncommon in age 26-35.
- Are you breast feeding?
Why: may suggest acute mastitis.
- Breast abscess or Candida albicans infection (which causes severe breast pain, producing a feeling like "hot cords", especially during and after breast feeding)
- Assess risk factors for breast cancer e.g. increasing age ( over 40 years of age)
- Pre-existing benign breast lumps
- Personal history of breast cancer
- Family history of first degree relative with breast cancer
- Childless until after age 30
- Late menopause ( after age 53)
- Obesity and early age when first started menstruating
- Past history of breast problems?
Why: e.g. cyclical breast pain.
- Mastitis
- Nipple problems or breast cancer
- Family history of breast cancer in first degree relative?
Why: increases the risk threefold.
- Medications?
Why: Hormone replacement therapy may cause diffuse bilateral breast pain as a side-effect and also increase the risk of breast cancer.
Questions your doctor may ask about related symptoms:
Sometimes, other symptoms may be present and may help your doctor analyse
your condition. These may include:
- Breast mass
Why: suggests mastitis, abscess, benign mammary dysplasia or advanced breast cancer. If tender masses in both breasts consider benign mammary dysplasia.
- Nipple discharge
Why: A bloody discharge from the breast suggests malignant breast cancer or sometimes benign mammary dysplasia. A pus-like discharge may suggest an abscess or mastitis. A watery discharge of various colors (clear to green-grey) suggests benign mammary dysplasia.
- Fever
Why: would suggest acute mastitis or abscess.
- Symptoms of pregnancy E.g. lack of menstrual periods, nausea, urinary frequency
Why: may suggest cause of breast pain.
- Symptoms suggestive of metastatic disease e.g. back pain, shortness of breath, weight loss, and headache
» Next page: Types of Breast pain
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