Don’t panic if you have breast hyperplasia, TCM diagnosis tips can help

This is the 4240th article of Da Yi Xiao Hu

Patients often ask during outpatient visits, "Is breast hyperplasia serious? Will it turn into cancer?"

Cysplasia of the breast is a non-neoplastic disease caused by abnormal breast development and regression. The clinical manifestations are diverse, mainly breast pain, some patients feel nodules or lumps on palpation, and a few patients have nipple discharge.

Correctly understand and deal with breast hyperplasia, Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment tips can help!

1. Breast hyperplasia ≠ breast cancer!

The latest global cancer burden data for 2020 released by the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) shows that in 2020, the number of new cases of breast cancer worldwide exceeded that of lung cancer, replacing lung cancer to become the cancer with the highest incidence rate in the world! In my country, there were 420,000 new cases of breast cancer in 2020, and 120,000 deaths from breast cancer in 2020.

When we see these data, it is hard not to be frightened. However, breast hyperplasia does not mean breast cancer!

Breast hyperplasia is the proliferation and degeneration of breast tissue, which is mainly manifested as breast pain related to the menstrual cycle. Up to 70-80% of women have breast hyperplasia, which may also be accompanied by breast nodules, but most breast nodules are also benign, so there is no need to be too nervous or worried.

2. If you suffer from breast hyperplasia, especially if it is accompanied by breast lumps, you need to have regular check-ups.

① Breast self-examination: Perform breast self-examination regularly.

② Surgical examination: also known as breast palpation. Through palpation by a specialist doctor, subtle changes in the shape or contour of the breast can be detected.

③ Breast ultrasound: Chinese people have relatively dense breasts, and ultrasound is an important screening method for breast diseases. It has a wide range of applications, strong repeatability, is non-invasive, easy to operate, and non-radioactive. It can detect a variety of breast diseases such as cystic, solid, and hyperplastic breast diseases.

④ Mammographic X-ray (molybdenum target): The sensitivity of mammographic screening for the diagnosis of early breast cancer is as high as 80%-90%, but it has certain radioactivity. It is generally not recommended to perform mammographic examination on women under 40 years old who have no clear high-risk factors for breast cancer and no clinical abnormalities.

⑤BRCA1/2 gene testing: For those with a family history of breast cancer, especially those with first-degree relatives (mothers, sisters) suffering from breast cancer, it is recommended to undergo BRCA1/2 gene testing to find out whether there is a BRCA1/2 gene mutation and take appropriate preventive measures.

3. Adjustments and interventions such as lifestyle can relieve and reduce the pain caused by breast hyperplasia.

The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage." The pain caused by breast hyperplasia can affect the patient's life and work in severe cases, and damage the patient's quality of life and physical and mental health.

Here are some tips in life that can help reduce or relieve the pain caused by breast hyperplasia:

① Maintain a good attitude: Face problems and setbacks in work and life with a positive attitude and keep your emotions stable.

② Maintain a healthy lifestyle: Do appropriate exercise, such as chest expansion exercises, dumbbell exercises, swimming, etc. Maintain a regular work and rest schedule, do not stay up late, ensure adequate sleep, and reduce work pressure.

③ Wear a suitable bra: choose natural fabrics and a size that fits you well; relax during rest time.

④ Reasonable diet: reduce the intake of high-fat, high-calorie foods, especially fried, spicy and irritating foods, ensure the intake of fruits and vegetables, maintain a healthy weight, and quit drinking and smoking.

⑤ Avoid health care products and breast massage: It is not recommended to take some health care and beauty products with unknown ingredients, such as propolis, royal jelly and other health care products; improper breast massage not only fails to enhance breast size and relieve breast pain, but if it is malignant, it will cause the spread of cancer cells.

⑥ Promote breastfeeding.

⑦ Learn to examine yourself.

4. Traditional Chinese medicine for relieving breast hyperplasia based on “differentiation and treatment”

Fibrocystic breast disease belongs to the category of "breast disease" in traditional Chinese medicine. The following types are common:

① Those with obvious symptoms of liver depression and qi stagnation: mainly manifested as breast pain or wandering pain; symptoms change with mood or menstrual cycle, and may be accompanied by chest tightness, pain in the ribs on both sides, and prone to depression, melancholy, or irritability. More common in young and middle-aged women.

Recommended: Rupi Sanjie Capsules, Rupi Xiao Tablets

② Those with obvious symptoms of liver-fire inflammation: Mainly manifested by breast pain and burning sensation; accompanied by dry mouth, bitter taste in the mouth, irritability, early menstruation, heavy and dark-colored menstruation, etc.

Recommended: Prunella Vulgaris oral solution

③ Those with obvious symptoms of phlegm congestion: The main manifestations are breast nodules, localized or diffuse glandular thickening, no obvious breast pain, obesity or accompanied by abdominal distension, excessive phlegm, etc.

Recommended: Small gold capsules.

④ Those with obvious symptoms of spleen deficiency: The main manifestation is mild breast pain; accompanied by chest tightness, easy sighing, fatigue, scanty and light-colored menstruation, and a fat tongue with teeth marks.

Recommended: Xiaoyao Pills

⑤ Those with obvious blood stasis symptoms: The main manifestations are needle-like pain in the breast, obvious nodules or lumps; accompanied by dark menstrual color, blood clots, dark tongue with ecchymoses, petechiae or tortuous sublingual veins, etc.

Recommended: Honghua Xiaoyao Tablets, Hongjin Xiaojie Capsules

⑥ Those with obvious symptoms of Chong and Ren disorders: mainly manifested as obvious breast nodules or lumps, mild breast pain, accompanied by scanty, pale or amenorrhea, soreness of waist and knees, fatigue, etc.; more common in middle-aged and elderly women.

Recommended: Danlu Capsules

It is recommended to stop taking the above Chinese patent medicines during menstruation and pregnant women should use them with caution.

5. Chinese medicine "Dietary differentiation based on syndrome differentiation" to relieve breast hyperplasia

"Medicine and food have the same origin." In life, there are many foods that are both food and medicine, and can also prevent and treat diseases. Here are some simple dietary recipes for preventing and treating breast hyperplasia:

① Buddha's hand porridge: 10g of Buddha's hand, 100g of polished rice, and appropriate amount of brown sugar. Wash the Buddha's hand, cut it into slices, put it into a pot, add appropriate amount of water and boil it to extract the juice. Use the juice and polished rice to cook into porridge, add brown sugar for seasoning. Eat in the morning and evening. Or brew Buddha's hand with boiling water, add white sugar for seasoning, and drink it instead of tea.

Applicable to: Liver depression and qi stagnation type.

② Rose and Panax notoginseng flower tea: 3g each of Panax notoginseng flower and rose. Put rose and Panax notoginseng flower into a cup, brew with boiling water, and drink frequently instead of tea.

Applicable to: Qi stagnation and blood stasis type.

③ Prunella Vulgaris and Lean Pork Congee: 20g Prunella Vulgaris, 100g lean pork, a little salt. Put the Prunella Vulgaris into a clean gauze bag, tie the mouth, put it into the pot, add appropriate amount of water to boil and extract the juice. Wash the pork, cut it into pieces, put it into the pot with the Prunella Vulgaris and cook until the meat is cooked, add salt to taste. Drink the soup and eat the meat.

Suitable for: People with liver depression and fire transformation and lumps.

④ Orange peel and orange peel drink: 10g orange peel, 5g orange peel, 15g loofah, 20g sugar. Put the orange peel, orange peel and loofah into the pot. Add appropriate amount of water to boil and extract the juice, add sugar and drink it in the morning and evening.

Suitable for: those with obvious symptoms of phlegm congestion.

Author: Zhu Hairun, deputy chief physician of TCM gynecology department of Gongli Hospital, Pudong New Area, Shanghai. He is a "young and middle-aged backbone of TCM" in Pudong New Area, a young talent of "Xinglin New Star" in Shanghai, a leader of TCM gynecology discipline in Pudong New Area, a student of Chen Jinli's famous TCM gynecology studio, a student of Shang Yun's famous TCM studio, a grassroots talent of Shanghai TCM gynecology, and has studied clinical practice with many famous gynecologists such as Qu Xiaozhu, Qi Cong, Wang Ling, Chen Jinli, Yin Xiuqi, Cai Qinhua, and Hu Guohua.