Medical Questions & Answers » Breast problem

Blood Test For Breast Cancer

medicalquestions — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 06:00:08 +0000

My mother and sister have had breast cancer, and my doctor wants me to have expensive blood tests every year to see if I will get it. How do these work and are they reliable?
The development of blood tests for specific antigens that are produced against particular types of cancer is one of the most exciting recent developments in pathology. Unfortunately the technology is still far from perfect, but antigens against a number of cancers including those that occur in the breast, pancreas, liver, colon, ovary, uterus and prostate have so far been detected. Unfortunately they are unreliable as a way of detecting cancer as there is no absolute value in any one person above which a cancer can be said to be present, but a series of tests over a period of months or years may show increasing levels of the antigen which may indicate the presence of a particular cancer.
The tests are particularly useful in following the progress of treatment in a patient (if successful, antigen levels should decrease steadily), or in watching a patient who has a bad family history of a particular type of cancer.
The cost is not covered by Medicare,, and so these tests are expensive, but may be useful in your situation. You must, of course, continue to regularly examine your breasts yourself, and have mammograms every year or two.

I have been told to take warfarin tablets life long as my heart beats irregularly, but I have to have blood tests every couple of weeks. What are these tests for?
A clotting or coagulation test measures how long it takes the blood to clot. This test may be ordered for someone who bruises or bleeds excessively to find out if they are a sufferer from an hereditary disease such as haemophilia (in which the blood does not clot and so even a minor accident can cause excessive bleeding), or one of the many other diseases that can reduce clotting.
Patients with a high risk of blood clots forming in the heart, an artery or vein, which may result in a heart attack, lung damage or stroke, may be placed on anticoagulant drugs such as warfarin. Clotting tests are carried out regularly to monitor the effect of these drugs and to ensure that a balance is maintained between pteventing a clot forming and stopping the blood clotting at all.
These tests are often reported as a ratio (international normalised ratio— INR) which measures how much longer the patient takes to stop bleeding than normal. A person with an INR of 3 takes three times as long to stop bleeding as a normal person. The doctor will determine the INR which is desirable for the patient (usually between 2 and 3.5), depending upon their diagnosis.
Warfarin may be life-saving in the correct dose, but if too much or too little is taken, there may be excessive internal bleeding, or the drug may not act to prevent dangerous blood clots in arteries. This is why regular blood tests are essential.

Personal Hygiene for Breasts

medicalquestions — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 11:34:56 +0000

I’m a married woman of 24. I want the advice of a gynecologist. I have some gum like white secretion from my breasts since 4 days. It is not creating any pain but my husband noticed it while squeezing. It comes out only when forced, not normally. My menstrual cycle is regular. I’m taking some medication for cysts in the ovary.
You have made a mention of cyst in the ovary but not given any details. Sometimes this secretion from the breast can be due to a rise in levels of the hormone Prolactin which is produced by the ovaries. I would advise you to consult your gynecologist and report the same, as your prolactin level should be checked. If this is high then further tests need to be carried out to find the cause. Once that is done then, depending on the cause, you can be treated with medication. Please visit your doctor, especially since you have also mentioned the presence of an ovarian cyst.

I have developed sagging breasts. Will I face any further problems after pregnancy and breast feeding? I’ve noticed some kind of white discharge from my vagina. Is this normal?
In reply to your first question, sagging breasts are not a problem for breast feeding; only a cosmetic disadvantage. However you can prevent further drooping by wearing a well fitted bra. Pay special attention to the shoulder straps so that they lift the breast comfortably and firmly. They should not cut into your shoulder. Also do some resistance training to firm up the pectoral muscles. The problem of white discharge vaginally should be addressed. If this is a clear discharge, which occurs during the mid menstrual cycle and has no smell or does not cause itching, then it’s a normal ovulatory discharge. If the discharge is a curdy white and accompanied by itching, then you should see a doctor as it could be a fungal infection(Candidiasis) which needs treatment.

Breast Exercise

medicalquestions — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 10:37:35 +0000

My breast is continuously increasing in size and the nipples also appear odd, as in they are not circular in shape, but conical. My breast is also sagging and this is not normal at my age. I have had sexual relations with a male friend. Could this be the reason for my problems or is there any other cause?
Let me start by reassuring you that you do not have a problem. Your nipples have a different shape but this is a normal variation and fairly common. The breast sagging however needs to be addressed. You should wear the correct bra that supports. Check the shoulder straps and pull them up till they fit snugly and give your breast the necessary lift. Breast tissue requires support as it increases, or it will sag. Also do exercises like bench press and pushups to tone your pectoral muscles.

I am an avid reader of medicalquestionsanswers.com. Please, I want to know what the most effective way of reducing breast size is.
Weight of the breasts can be reduced either by massive weight loss or surgery, called reduction mammaplasty, which is performed under general anesthesia. The desired final size of the breast is first marked out. Relocation of the nipple areola complex correctly is critical. It will require a number of stitches, and you may be left with a few scars which will fade away eventually. However the operation is tricky and delicate, and should only be performed by an experienced plastic surgeon. In some cases, milk secretion is preserved while in others, it may have to be sacrificed. The choice depends on the age of the patient and the size of the breasts.

Perk up your Breast

medicalquestions — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 07:38:58 +0000

I was a 90-kilo elephant but I really worked my ass out in the gym and whittled down to 56. However the skin on my breasts is wrinkling, which has taken the shine out my weightloss. To tell you frankly, when I was 90 kg my breasts were really huge, now I’m a size 34, but the skin has shrivelled up. I don’t know what to do and in need of your advice.
Yours is a very common problem after massive weight loss. Due to loss of elasticity, the stretched skin presents a very unsightly appearance. Patients sometimes feel the weight loss was not worth the effort. You are lucky that you are concerned only about your breasts. A few months back, I operated on a 41 -year-old American lady who lost 60 kilos. She was distressed with her weightloss because afterwards she had folds of loose skin hanging all over her body. She required a tummy tuck, breast lift, thigh lift, arm lift and face lift. You need a procedure called ‘mastopexy’, in which the nipple-areola complex is relocated to a new higher position and excess loose skin is cut away. The operation, done under general anaesthesia, takes about 3 hours. The results are very satisfactory. There is no other line of treatment once the breast tissues have shrunk.

Breast feeding

medicalquestions — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 06:00:50 +0000

Question: I have just started breast feeding my baby, who is three weeks old. I keep hearing about the trouble some women have with breast feeding, but I am very keen to feed myself for at least six months, as I know it is better for her. What problems can occur with breast feeding and how can I avoid them?
Many problems can arise with breast feeding, but most are easily prevented and treated, and should not cause feeding to stop. The most common problems are engorgement and infection. If the breasts are swollen and overfilled with milk, expressing the excess milk usually relieves the discomfort. This can be done by hand under a shower or into a container, or with the assistance of a breast pump. At other times, expressed milk may be kept and given to the baby by a sitter while the mother attends a social function. Breast feeding need not tie the mother to the home.
Mastitis is an infection of the breast that requires rapid treatment by a doctor to prevent the formation of an abscess. If one of the many lobes in the breast does not empty its milk, the milk may become infected, and the breast becomes very tender red and sore. Fortunately, antibiotics can usually settle the problem, and it does not mean that the woman must stop feeding.
The best way to determine if the baby is receiving adequate milk is regular weighing at a child welfare clinic or doctor’s surgery. Provided the weight is steadily increasing, there is no need for concern. If the weight gain is very slight, or static, then supplementation of the breast feeds may be required. It is best to offer the breasts first, and once they appear to be empty of milk, a bottle of suitable formula can be given to finish the feed.

Breast at teenage

medicalquestions — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 05:53:28 +0000

Question: When I was a teenager I used to squeeze my breast buds in an attempt to stimulate them to develop larger breasts, but I am now mature and my breasts are very small. Did I harm my breast buds by squeezing them?
Absolutely not! What you did is something many girls do as they start to develop, but there is nothing that will alter the size of the breasts during or after puberty other than manipulation of the sex hormones, a procedure that is not performed because of serious adverse effects on the other sex organs. Many women notice a small increase in breast size when taking the oral contraceptive pill, and pregnancy may result in a permanent enlargement.
Breast size is determined by your choice in parents, by the amount of estrogen produced by your ovaries, and the individual response of your breast tissue to the estrogen. No amount of physical stimulation is going to alter the breast size.
If you are particularly concerned by the small size of your breasts, plastic surgery techniques are available to increase your bust line. In years past, these procedures were bought into disrepute by silicon leakage from the prostheses used to increase the breast size, but better prostheses and improved operations have overcome these problems, so that the risks are now minimal.

Breast removal for cancer

medicalquestions — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 06:00:13 +0000

Question: I have had a mastectomy (breast removal) for cancer, and found that I avoided many complications of restricted arm movement and swelling ol my arm by keeping the arm above my head on a pillow, and moving it as much as possible, starting immediately after the operation.
Arm movement restrictions and lymphoedema (swelling) of the arm are common complications of breast surgery when the glands in the armpit are removed to prevent the further spread of breast cancer.
Lymph is the waste products of the cells, and lymph returns from every cell through a complex network of fine tubes, rather like thin veins. These lymph ducts pass through the lymph glands that concentrate in the armpit, groin, neck and along the inside of your backbone. Tne glands act to remove any germs that may be attempting to penetrate deeper into the body. Eventually the lymph, having being cleaned by the glands, drains into a major vein near the heart.
The complication of lymphoedema (lymph accumulation) alter breast cancer surgery varies dramatically from one patient to another, with only partial relationship to the severity of the surgery. Those who suffer severely may have an arm that is rock hard and three times its normal size. Elevation and pressure bandages are the normal treatments, but a plastic sleeve that envelopes the arm and is rhythmically inflated by a machine is the most successful treatment.
Patients requiring further help with this problem should contact the Lymphoedema Association in their state.

Different breast size

medicalquestions — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:00:28 +0000

Question: One of my breasts is markedly smaller than the other, in fact one has not developed at all. This becomes a problem when buying bras, as one side fits and the other doesn’t. I am in my late teens and my breasts have always been different sizes. Is it hormonal?
This problem is not as uncommon as you may think. In fact, most women have slight differences in the sizes of their breasts, in the same way that most of us have one foot or hand a fraction larger than the other. In your case, the problem is extreme, and requires treatment. All humans (male and female) have a tiny nodule of breast tissue present behind the nipple from birth. At puberty, the oestrogens in women stimulate this tissue to grow into a breast. The degree of stimulation, the size or original nodule, and (most importantly) hereditary tendencies will determine your breast size.
In your case, you were almost certainly born with no nodule of breast tissue behind one nipple, and therefore there was nothing there for the hormones to stimulate at puberty. It has absolutely nothing to do with your diet or lifestyle. The problem will be a permanent one, and you will not be able to breast feed a baby from the undeveloped breast, but the good breast will be able to produce adequate milk by itself (most mothers of twins successfully breast feed both babies).
There is no magical medication, cream or diet that will help, but plastic surgery will improve your self-image and appearance dramatically. You should not instantly exclude surgery, because the operation is a very simple and safe one, that will leave a small scar under the fold of the breast tha only your most intimate friends will ever discover. The surgeon will insert a bag full of soft gel behind the muscle under the nipple, so that both breasts will b exactly the same size and feel.
Ask yout GP for a referral to a plastic surgeon (virtually all perform thi simple procedure), and discuss the matter further with him/her. A talk commit you to nothing, and will give you a great deal more information.

Large breast

medicalquestions — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:00:17 +0000

Question: I am 22 years old and my breasts are too large. They are quite saggy and I get rashes under them, and they cause me great discomfort. I would like to know who I can see about getting my breasts uplifted and decreased in size, the effects of the operation and how much it would cost.
Women with very large breasts can find them to be both uncomfortable and embarrassing. They develop fungal and heat rashes under the breast, and tired shoulder and back muscles from supporting them. They get in the way when Performing some tasks, and make the woman look fatter than she is. Many women gain enormous benefit by having a breast reduction operation per-formed, and the sooner such a procedure is undertaken, the better. There are a lot of plastic surgeons who perform this procedure, and you should discuss with your general practitioner who s/he recommends in your area.
There are a number of different ways of reducing the breast size, but in the most common operation, a slice of tissue and fat is removed from the underside of the breast, so that the resulting scar is in the fold under the breast, and barely noticeable. If nothing further was done, the nipple would be left pointing at the floor instead of straight ahead, so a further vertical cut must be made, to allow the nipple to be moved further up the smaller breast. The resultant vertical scar is below the nipple on an area of the breast that is rarely exposed to public view.
After the operation, you will feel much more comfortable, you will still be able to breast feed, and no one except your most intimate friends will ever know.
The costs involved in the operation will be partially refunded by Medicare (for the doctor’s fees) and your private health fund (for the hospital charges and part of the doctor’s fee). If you have no private insurance, you may have to pay $3000 to $4000. You should discuss this further at the initial consultation with the plastic surgeon, which will put you under no obligation to proceed further unless you wish to.

Itchy breast nipples

medicalquestions — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:00:11 +0000

Question: I have extremely itchy nipples, and I can’t scratch them in public without people staring at me! I don’t have particularly large breasts, in fact my boyfriend teases me about m ‘fried eggs’ when I sunbath topless. What can I do?
This is a relatively common problem, particularly in summer and in women who are less well endowed. These women may go without a bra and their nipples are irritated by clothing moving across them, or have loose fitting bras that constantly move across the nipple, irritating it. Padding a bra may help this problem. Synthetic materials in the bra may also aggravate the problem—only cotton bras should be worn.
Allergies to soaps, perfumes and washing powders may cause itchy nipples. Infections such as thrush are common in breast feeding mothers, and your doctor can prescribe medication to cure this.
If no cause is apparent, lanolin and other skin moisturizers may be beneficial. As a last resort anti-itch creams can be obtained from a chemist, or your doctor can prescribe a mild steroid cream to ease the embarrassing itch.
Having plastic surgery to increase the size of your breasts may be an option if their size concerns you.