Many women want to know the cause of fibrocystic condition. In general, fibrocystic condition is a result of the multiple menstrual cycles modern women experience. Women in more primitive cultures experienced about 100 menstrual cycles in their lifetime. Women in cultures practicing birth control on a regular basis experience an average of 400 menstrual cycles in their lifetime. The repetitive stimulation of the breast tissue by the menstrual cycle leads to overgrowth of the cells which line the milk ducts and milk- forming glands in the breast. This can cause areas of microscopic blockage and swelling with subsequent formation of scar tissue and small cysts.

What symptoms can I experience with fibrocystic condition?
      The main symptom of fibrocystic condition is pain in the breast. Many women are used to some swelling and tenderness in both breasts, which happens regularly with their menstrual cycle. However, women are naturally alarmed when they develop a single area of pain, tenderness, and lumpiness in one location in one breast. Other women experience "shooting" pains which extend out to the nipple, and around the back and sometimes down that arm. These pains are "referred" pains similar to the arm pain experienced by a patient who is having a heart attack. This referred pain is a result of the fact that the internal nerves are not as precise as the nerves in the skin (especially on the face and fingertips).

Do the symptoms come and go during the year?
      Yes. Many women will experience a flare-up of the fibrocystic condition with a hot spot in one location in one breast at some time in their life. Often women will have such flare-ups several times during the year. The cause of such flare-ups are unknown. We believe this some contributing causes may include increased stress, increased caffeine intake, and increased levels of estrogen in the blood. Estrogen levels are known to fluctuate widely when a woman enters the perimenopausal period and during other times of physiological transition or the initiation of hormone-containing or hormone-stimulating medications.

Can fibrocystic condition lead to cancer?
      In general, no! There is a very slight statistical increase in the risk of breast cancer in women who have fibrocystic condition, but this is felt by experts to be too small an increase to be of importance to anyone other than a statistician. This is particularly true since most women in developed countries experience fibrocystic condition for the reasons stated above. Fibrocystic condition does make screening for breast cancer more challenging. The patient and the healthcare professional must stay vigilant to avoid attributing new symptoms to fibrocystic condition, without performing the usual screening tests. If the usual screens (exam & breast imaging) are in good order, we continue evaluation over time to make sure that nothing is missed.