What are the main benign diseases of the breast? Cystic hyperplasia of the breast is the most common benign breast disease, also known as mastopexy and mastopathy. It accounts for about 80% of benign diseases seen in outpatient clinics. Mammary hyperplasia consists of a complex series of proliferative lesions of the breast epithelium and mesenchyme. Clinically, the following are common: lobular hyperplasia, adenopathy, cystic hyperplasia (formation of cysts and fibrosis on the basis of adenopathy), and adenopathy with fibroadenoma formation. It is mainly seen in adult women between the ages of 25 and 55, and its causes are related to endocrine disorders, mental stress and depression, and improper diet (high-fat, estrogen-like foods, etc.). The most common manifestation is breast pain and discomfort that worsens before menstruation and relieves after menstruation. Benign tumors of the breast Common benign tumors of the breast include fibroadenoma and ductal tumor of the breast. Fibroadenomas are more common in adolescent women, while lipomas and ductal tumors are usually seen in middle-aged and elderly patients. The etiology of benign tumors is not clear in contemporary medicine, but it is currently believed that fibroadenomas are related to the abnormal secretion and action of estrogen. Inflammatory lesions of the breast Inflammatory lesions of the breast, such as acute mastitis during lactation and plasmacytoid mastitis, are also common breast diseases. Acute mastitis during lactation is closely related to the susceptibility of the breast to infection during lactation, lack of hygiene and entry of bacteria from the nipple or broken skin. Plasmacytoid mastitis with breast lumps as the main complaint is often seen in women after childbirth and is associated with mastitis and bruised milk during lactation. Other benign breast diseases include parasthesia, macromastia, trauma, fat necrosis, cumulus cysts, etc. Parametrium is related to embryonic congenital development and is divided into true parametrium (with complete breast structure including nipple) and pseudo parametrium (only ectopic glands). There are many factors that contribute to benign breast disease, and modern lifestyle does contribute to the occurrence of breast disease. The main ones are: stressful work or family life resulting in mental depression, which leads to endocrine disorders; modern diet is mainly high in protein and fat, which becomes the main reason for obtaining exogenous estrogen, which is closely related to most breast diseases. Injection of chemical agents for breast augmentation can easily lead to mastitis and nodules and induce cancer, and this kind of breast augmentation has been explicitly prohibited. Most benign breast diseases are difficult to cure completely. Mastoproliferative diseases usually accompany adult women throughout their reproductive cycle, and treatment such as medication usually serves to alleviate symptoms but is difficult to cure, and will remit or subside on its own after menopause. Parametrial, simple fibroadenoma and lipoma can be cured by surgery, but some fibroadenomas are prone to recurrence (new, to be precise, in patients with multiple fibroadenomas, which appear in batches). Those who have suffered from acute mastitis during lactation are prone to develop inflammatory granulomatous disease after several years. Common treatments include medications, physical therapy and surgical procedures, the latter of which include conventional surgery and minimally invasive “Ankle” breast surgery. Each technique has its own advantages and disadvantages and should be chosen reasonably according to the condition. Some benign breast diseases may develop into breast cancer. Atypical hyperplasia of breast ducts or lobular epithelium and papillomatosis are clear precancerous lesions of the breast and have a risk of developing breast cancer five times higher than that of the general population. In contrast, lipomas, inflammatory lesions, cysts, and common adenopathy are not associated with the occurrence of breast cancer. Patients should be evaluated by a breast specialist to assess their condition and risk of breast cancer and take targeted measures, as well as learn general health knowledge such as breast self-examination. Whether the use of hormone-containing beauty products and health care products can cause disease varies from person to person. Generally speaking, estrogen-containing products or foods have a mildly promotive effect on certain breast diseases such as breast enlargement and breast cancer. Breast cancer patients and people with high risk factors (such as having precancerous diseases, family history of breast cancer, etc.) should avoid these supplies or supplements. Daily diet should follow the principles of healthy diet: a reasonable mix of starch, protein, fat and crude fiber, low fat, less fried and pickled products, less hormone-fed fish and poultry, etc. The use of medication should be guided by a specialist. Breast health check is the most important and economical means to detect breast diseases (especially early breast cancer). According to the age distribution of breast cancer incidence in China (the peak age group is 40-55 years old), women over 30 years old should receive breast examination at least once a year. However, it should be especially noted that the examination method is important. Many people attend simple physical examinations organized by units every year, which are not very helpful for early detection of breast cancer. Simple physical examinations and transillumination techniques such as near infrared light are not very meaningful for detecting early cancer. Color Doppler ultrasound and mammography are valuable for early diagnosis, and their combined application can improve the detection rate; CT, MRI, PET-CT and other expensive examinations are performed at the doctor’s discretion when necessary.