Subscribe
23
Fan Hong Qiao
Breast Health Department
About me
The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Breast Surgery Department, attending physician, specializes in the diagnosis and comprehensive treatment of breast diseases and early detection of breast cancer using traditional Chinese medicine and herbal treatments. Has participated in 4 national natural science foundation projects and provincial projects, with over 10 published papers.
Proficient in diseases
Early diagnosis and comprehensive treatment of breast diseases and breast cancer using traditional Chinese medicine and herbal medicine.
Voices
Breast Cancer Self-Examination Method
Breast self-examination helps to detect changes in the breasts in a timely manner, and to discover breast diseases promptly. For instance, breast lumps are often found by patients themselves during self-examination. However, finding a breast lump does not necessarily mean it is breast cancer, as many conditions can present as breast lumps, such as the most common one, fibrocystic breast changes. Besides breast self-examination, early detection of breast cancer also relies on regular physical check-ups. It is recommended that women of childbearing age should develop the habit of regular breast self-examinations and routine physical check-ups, and consult a doctor promptly if abnormalities are found.
Medications for the treatment of breast hyperplasia
Medications for treating mammary gland hyperplasia: (1) Simple mammary gland hyperplasia 1) For diagnosed patients without symptoms such as pain, it is possible to consider not using medication for treatment. Maintaining a regular lifestyle, relaxing, eating less high-fat food, and drinking fewer caffeinated beverages are all beneficial. 2) If pain affects normal life and work, severe cases may even consider using estrogen blockers to relieve pain. 3) Surgery is generally not recommended, unless the hyperplastic lumps cannot exclude malignancy. (2) Cystic mammary gland hyperplasia 1) For small cysts with mild symptoms, no surgery is needed, and endocrine treatment can be used, including anti-estrogen drugs such as tamoxifen and toremifene, as well as traditional Chinese medicine. 2) If the cyst is large, causes compression symptoms, or if ultrasonography suggests that the cyst wall is locally thickened, has abundant blood supply, contains a tumor attached to the wall, or if the patient is greatly stressed about the potential for cancer, surgical treatment can be considered.
What should I do about hyperplastic nodules in the breast?
Breast nodules are a symptom commonly associated with breast hyperplasia and neoplastic breast diseases. In treatment, it is crucial to first make an accurate diagnosis through breast ultrasound and mammography. If some nodules are highly likely to be benign, regular follow-up observation may be considered. If a biopsy is needed for some breast nodules to determine their pathological nature, the treatment plan can be decided based on the pathology results. If diagnosed as malignant tumors, a personalized comprehensive treatment plan should be developed in collaboration with multiple disciplines based on the patient's condition, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, endocrine therapy, and molecular targeted therapy, among others.
Can breast swelling and pain be breast cancer?
The causes of breast pain are primarily divided into physiological and pathological breast pain. Physiological breast pain is often caused by changes in the body's hormones, wearing inappropriate underwear, too tight bras, miscarriage, or hormonal changes before menstruation. This type of breast pain has a certain regularity and recurs cyclically; careful observation can usually identify the cause and solution on its own. Pathological breast pain refers to pain caused by breast diseases. The nature of the pain is diverse and irregular, constituting non-cyclical pain. Diseases that can cause this type of breast pain include mastitis, fibrocystic breast changes, breast trauma, or breast cancer. However, early-stage breast cancer generally does not cause noticeable pain; pain associated with breast cancer typically occurs in the later stages when the cancer affects nerves. Therefore, if you experience breast pain, do not rush to conclusions. Whether it is physiological, pathological, or induced by other diseases requires a doctor's diagnosis.
What should I do with bilateral breast hyperplasia?
Bilateral breast hyperplasia, although common, is indeed a burden on women's health. So, what should one do if diagnosed with bilateral breast hyperplasia? Firstly, it's important to understand that there are different types of breast hyperplasia. One type is physiological, which generally does not require treatment as the symptoms will disappear on their own. Another type of breast hyperplasia is caused by personal health factors, such as depression, or long-term irregular living habits, which often lead to hormonal imbalances and subsequently bilateral breast hyperplasia. For this type, it is necessary to eliminate the root cause by adjusting one's mood, correcting unhealthy living habits, avoiding smoking and drinking, and maintaining emotional stability and a healthy diet for effective control. Of course, it is best to combine these efforts with treatment advised by a doctor. There is also a pathological type of bilateral breast hyperplasia that requires special attention because of the potential risk of cancer. Therefore, it is imperative to seek timely medical examination and treatment.
What causes breast pain during menstruation?
The menstrual period is a time when female hormone levels fluctuate, which is the fundamental reason why most women experience breast pain during menstruation. Due to the fluctuation of hormone levels, there is an increase in breast tissue and edema in the interstitial tissue of the breast, ultimately causing the sensation of breast pain. If the breast pain during menstruation does not ease after the period, or if the pain is very severe, or even painful to touch, attention is needed. This is considered pathological breast pain, likely caused by breast disease, and could be related to breast hyperplasia, mastitis, or even breast tumors. It is necessary to consult a professional doctor for a breast diagnosis.
Differences between Breast Hyperplasia and Breast Cancer
Both breast hyperplasia and breast cancer can present as breast lumps. The lumps in breast hyperplasia are generally softer or of medium hardness, often occurring bilaterally with multiple lumps of varying sizes. They may appear nodular, plaque-like, or granular, are quite mobile, and have no adhesion to surrounding tissues. The size and characteristics of the lumps commonly change with the menstrual cycle and emotional fluctuations, and they tend to grow slowly, predominantly affecting young and middle-aged women. In contrast, breast cancer lumps are generally harder, usually unilateral and solitary. These lumps may be round, oval, or irregular in shape, can grow quite large, have limited mobility, and tend to adhere to the skin and surrounding tissues. The lumps are not related to the menstrual cycle or emotional changes, can increase in size rapidly over a short period, and are more commonly seen in middle-aged and older women. Sometimes breast cancer can be confused with breast hyperplasia, necessitating a hospital visit for examination and diagnostic differentiation by a doctor.
Mammary gland hyperplasia should visit which department?
Breast hyperplasia, also known as lobular hyperplasia, includes clinically observed conditions such as cystic mammary disease, chronic mammary disease, chronic cystic mastitis, mammary dysplasia, breast cysts, and cystic hyperplasia of the breast. It is a common benign condition of the breast. It is commonly seen in middle-aged women and is mostly related to hormonal imbalances in the body. It is not an inflammation or a tumor, but a physiological response of the body to hormonal imbalance, representing a disorder of the normal structure of the breast. To examine breast hyperplasia, one should of course visit the breast department at a formal hospital for a consultation! If a small hospital does not have a breast surgery department, a consultation can be made in gynecology.
Good methods for mammary gland hyperplasia
According to different pathological types, clinically, there are two types of breast hyperplasia: simple breast hyperplasia and cystic breast hyperplasia, each requiring different treatment methods. Starting with simple breast hyperplasia: for diagnosed patients who do not exhibit symptoms such as pain, medicinal treatment might not be necessary. Maintaining a regular lifestyle, staying relaxed, consuming less fatty food, and drinking fewer caffeine-containing beverages are all beneficial. If the pain affects normal life and work, severe cases might consider using estrogen blockers to alleviate the pain. Surgery is generally not recommended unless the hyperplastic lump cannot be ruled out as malignant. So, how is cystic breast hyperplasia treated? For patients with small cysts and mild symptoms, no surgery is needed, and treatment might involve the use of anti-estrogenic drugs for endocrine therapy. If the cyst is large, causes compressive symptoms, or if an ultrasound suggests thickening of the cyst wall, rich blood supply, or the presence of a tumor attached to the cyst wall, or if the patient is highly stressed about the risk of cancer, surgical treatment might be considered.
Breast hyperplasia massage technique
Massaging the breasts can maintain good blood circulation within the breasts and assist in the treatment of breast hyperplasia. Apply olive oil to the breasts and then start massaging. Step 1: With the thumb on one side and the other four fingers together on the other side, spread the web between thumb and index finger. Push from the outer sides of both breasts towards the center to prevent the breasts from expanding outward. Do 30 pushes on each side. Step 2: Keep the same hand shape, starting with the left breast. The left hand pushes the left breast from the outside toward the center. After reaching the center, use the right hand to push up the left breast from below to the collarbone area. This means both hands are alternately pushing the left breast. Repeat this 30 times and then switch to the right breast. This massaging method is very important for treating breast hyperplasia. Step 3: Shape your hands like a cup, with fingers slightly apart, enough to cover the breasts. Lean forward slightly, cover the breasts with both hands, and lift from the bottom (not lower part) towards the nipple. Repeat this 20 times. Step 4: Massage around the breasts in a circular motion, until all the remaining essential oil on the chest is absorbed. A special reminder: Patients with larger cysts should not massage, as excessive force may cause the cysts to rupture.