What is the difference between breast nodules and cysts?

For most women, they must be familiar with the disease of breast nodules. This is a disease with a high incidence rate. There are many reasons behind it. For example, some women live under high pressure for a long time, which will lead to breast hyperplasia. Breast hyperplasia is one of the causes of breast nodules. Breast nodules can easily be confused with cysts. What is the difference between these two diseases?

The difference between breast nodules and cysts:

Which one is more harmful: breast nodules, breast cysts or breast fibroids? In recent years, various breast problems have come one after another, causing great troubles to women, such as breast hyperplasia, breast nodules, breast cysts, breast fibroids, breast cancer, etc., which seriously threaten women's health. Which one is more harmful? It is necessary to distinguish these concepts. Breast nodules refer to lumps in the breast, which is a general term. Breast cancer, breast cysts, and breast fibroids are all breast nodules. Therefore, the harmfulness of breast nodules mainly depends on the nature of the nodules. In order to unify and standardize diagnosis and treatment, there is currently an imaging grading system in the world called the BI-RADS grading system. The higher the grade, the higher the degree of malignancy. If it is greater than or equal to grade four, malignancy needs to be considered, and a puncture biopsy or direct surgical treatment is recommended.

Breast hyperplasia: It is caused by the cyclical changes of hormones in women's bodies and usually occurs when there is a disorder. When the ovaries secrete too high a level of estrogen, too little luteinizing progesterone, or the secretion of the two is not coordinated, it can cause hyperplasia of the mammary duct epithelial cells and fibrous tissue in the breast. Breast nodules are commonly referred to as breast lumps, which are a morphological change in breast tissue. They can also be said to be a symptom, not the name of a disease. Breast nodules are a general term that refers to tumors in the breast gland discovered by clinical physicians or auxiliary examination physicians. They may be benign or malignant. The nature of the nodule can be preliminarily judged based on its size, solidity, regularity of shape, blood flow signal, elasticity score, aspect ratio, etc., and a BI-RADS classification can be made for the nodule. Category 1 is normal, no problem, and category 6 is confirmed breast cancer. As shown in the figure above, for category 4, there is a more than 20% chance that it is malignant, and surgical resection is the recommended treatment option. Breast nodules are nodules formed by the proliferation of breast tissue. Fibroids are a benign tumor, not breast tissue. A correct diagnosis can only be made through a comprehensive analysis of examinations, instrumental examinations, and symptoms. Breast nodules themselves are just a description, not an independent disease, but a manifestation of a certain disease. Whether they are harmful, how serious the harm is, and whether they need to be treated depends on what disease causes them. General breast lobular hyperplasia can also manifest as nodules. Various benign breast diseases, including the breast cysts and fibromas mentioned above, may appear in the form of nodules. Breast cancer can also manifest as breast nodules. Obviously, their hazards are different. If it is breast cancer, of course it must be treated actively. If it is just a simple breast hyperplasia nodule, then you can observe, follow up and check, and adjust your lifestyle and eating habits.

Breast fibroids are a benign breast lesion and a common benign breast tumor. Their occurrence is often related to endocrine hormone disorders, such as elevated estrogen, but the chance of them becoming cancerous is very small. Breast fibroadenoma is a benign nodule that is more common in young women. It can be single or multiple, has a tough texture, and good mobility. Breast fibroadenoma can remain unchanged for a long time and has no symptoms. It can be followed up regularly or removed with minimally invasive surgery. During pregnancy, fibroadenomas may grow larger due to hormone stimulation. Fibroma has a capsule and has no direct contact with other normal tissues. If the fibroma is very small, you can choose to use medication appropriately. Even if surgical treatment is required, it is only a minor operation and will not have any impact on the body or any sequelae. It is a benign breast lesion that is common in young women. It may be related to an imbalance in sex hormone levels in the body. It rarely becomes malignant (of course, this possibility cannot be completely ruled out). It develops slowly overall. If there are no symptoms, it will not affect life and work. No treatment is required. It can be closely observed and regularly followed up. Of course, if it is a huge fibroid, or there is a family history of breast cancer, or there are obvious symptoms, surgical resection should also be considered. Breast fibroadenoma is a benign disease, but there is a possibility of malignant transformation of fibroids. Therefore, if fibroids are found clinically, follow-up observation is recommended, and surgical treatment is recommended as soon as possible if it is needed.

Breast cyst. It depends on what causes the cyst. Some cysts are caused by inflammation (inflammatory cysts, inside is a mass of inflammatory fluid), some are caused by bleeding (hemorrhagic cysts, inside is old blood), and some are caused by cystic hyperplasia... Some inflammatory cysts can be observed, while others need drainage or anti-inflammatory treatment depending on the situation; some hemorrhagic cysts can be observed (slowly suctioned), while others need drainage. Cystic breast hyperplasia may become cancerous and requires close follow-up, enhanced monitoring, and surgical treatment if necessary. Breast cyst is a cystic nodule with fluid inside. To put it simply, breast cyst is a blister inside the breast. Breast cysts are not harmful to the body. Large cysts can be punctured and fluid can be drained, but they are prone to recurrence. Most breast cysts are caused by breast cystic hyperplasia. As for how to distinguish breast cysts from breast fibroids, ultrasound examination can be used to confirm whether it is breast fibroids or breast cysts. Generally speaking, women should have regular breast ultrasound examinations to confirm whether there is breast hyperplasia and the specific situation, but both of these are benign lesions. Breast cysts are very common in clinical practice. Since breast cysts are obvious lumps in the breast, they often cause burden and fear to patients. Sometimes, small cysts can increase significantly overnight. Cysts are multiple or there are signs of inflammation in the surrounding tissues. Milk cysts, traumatic cysts, and simple breast cysts are benign breast lesions, which are common and frequently occurring diseases in women, accounting for about 7% of all female diseases. Their occurrence is closely related to endocrine dysfunction. However, women with breast cysts have a higher chance of cancer than normal people. Therefore, women with breast cysts must strengthen self-examination and return to the hospital for follow-up examinations every six months.

It is recommended that the above patients should change their dietary structure, eat less oily foods, pay attention to maintaining a regular life, pay attention to the combination of work and rest, exercise more, prevent obesity, try to avoid taking drugs containing estrogen, prohibit the abuse of contraceptives and beauty products containing estrogen, avoid breast hyperplasia or aggravate the symptoms of breast cysts, it is recommended to eat foods such as kelp and oranges that promote qi and disperse nodules, and most importantly, do a breast tumor screening every year. These are several breast diseases that women are more likely to suffer from. Generally speaking, the harm of breast hyperplasia is relatively mild compared to other breast diseases, while the symptoms of breast fibroids are the most serious. However, we should not ignore the dangers of breast hyperplasia, because if the hyperplasia is severe, it will not only fail to heal itself, but it may also aggravate the condition and may even lead to malignant transformation. Therefore, breasts are the part of the body that women should pay the most attention to and protect. The country’s policies are also good now, with women undergoing universal screening for both cancers every year. This is the preferential treatment the country gives to women, but we must also pay great attention to ourselves, eliminate cancer in its infancy, and be a beautiful woman who is healthy both physically and mentally! Once you have any of the above breast diseases, you must pay attention to it and treat it as soon as possible. It is best not to delay treatment of any disease to avoid missing the best opportunity for treatment, so as to prevent more serious breast cancer from occurring. I wish you a happy life.