| Conditions
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Features
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What Your Doctor May Recommend
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| Cysts
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Fluid-filled lumps
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Usually not cancer
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Occur most often in women ages 35-50
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Often in both breasts
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Some too small to be felt
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Doctors often watch cysts over time or use fine-needle
aspiration to remove the fluid from the cyst
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Ultrasound may be used to see whether a lump is solid or filled with fluid
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| Fibroadenoma
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Hard, round, benign growth
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Feels like rubber; moves around easily
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Usually painless
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Often found by the woman herself
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Appears on mammogram as smooth, round lumps with clearly defined edges
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Can get bigger when a woman is pregnant or nursing
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Sometimes diagnosed with fine-needle aspiration
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If the fibroadenoma does not appear normal, the doctor may suggest taking it
out to make sure it is benign
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| Macrocalcifications
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Appear on a mammogram as large calcium deposits
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Often caused by aging
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Usually not cancer
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If they are grouped together in a certain way, they may be a sign of cancer
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Another mammogram to have a closer look at the area
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A biopsy may be used for diagnosis
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| Lump (or "mass")
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May be round and smooth
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May be caused by normal hormone changes
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Irregular borders may be a sign of cancer
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A mammogram and/or ultrasound may be used to see whether a lump is solid or
filled with fluid
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A biopsy may be used for diagnosis
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| Microcalcifications
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Appear on a mammogram as tiny specks of calcium that might be in an area of
rapidly dividing cells
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If they are grouped together in a certain way, they may be a sign of cancer
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Another mammogram to have a closer look at the area
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A biopsy may be used for diagnosis
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