Every time we see patients with the same “disease”, they have problems that are not really called breast disease, but often cause them psychological anxiety and affect their normal lives. I think it’s important to let more people know that breast problems are not really diseases in the sense of the word. 1. Bumps around the areola Many patients find a ring of dark or white protrusions around the areola that are not painful or itchy but affect the aesthetics. They are called “areola glands”, also known as “Montgomery’s glands”. First of all, their presence is normal, and secondly, they have an important physiological role in producing a lubricating fluid that keeps the nipples soft, especially for pregnant women. The areola glands produce some odorous secretions that help the baby to find and suckle the mother’s milk. This ring of protrusions varies from person to person in terms of density of distribution and shade of color. The majority of people during pregnancy, the areola glands will increase and deepen in color, so mothers-to-be do not need to be nervous, this is the mammary gland in preparation for future breastfeeding. 2, repeated itching of the nipples Some patients have repeated itching of the nipples bilaterally, sometimes accompanied by a flow of yellow liquid repeatedly crusted, the nipples indicate a layer of yellow “clothes” covered. Most of these cases are caused by eczema, which occurs on the nipples but is actually a skin lesion, and a dermatological consultation is more appropriate because patients often have a combination of tinea pedis, or fungal infections elsewhere. Of course, there is a breast cancer paget’s disease, and eczema symptoms are similar, but often unilateral nipple, if you can not identify or come to the hospital to let the doctor check. The result is either a misunderstanding of the disease or a “fear of cancer” that carries a heavy burden of thought. Many “cancer-phobic” patients have a very narrow definition of breast cancer, and often encounter patients seeking consultation because they think that one of the criteria for breast cancer is breast asymmetry, but we have to correct that there is no sufficient condition between the two. Breast cancer also does not necessarily have asymmetrical breasts. First of all, all symmetrical organs of human beings cannot be 100% symmetrical, our eyes, hands and feet are not exactly the same size, and there are also differences in breast development, especially in adolescent girls. At the same time, there are some patients who have different degrees of glandular enlargement on both sides of the breast, which may also cause differences in size, and this is also normal. The difference in breast size caused by breast cancer is usually due to a large or even ulcerated lump in the late stage of the disease, causing a bilateral difference in appearance, while some early stage breast cancer patients have a lump of only a few centimeters or millimeters in size, which is not enough to cause a difference in appearance. Therefore, the difference in breast size is never the only criterion for determining breast cancer. 4. Nipple overflow Clinically, many patients are very worried about having breast cancer because of nipple overflow, but in fact, breast cancer overflow only accounts for a very small part of the whole, and it is mainly bloody overflow. Most of the patients have clear and porous overflow due to ductal dilatation or inflammation, which is a benign symptom. Especially for those who still have milk secretion several years after giving birth, there is no need to worry too much. Excluding pituitary tumors or long-term related drugs that cause overflow, many people will still have a small amount of milk secretion within 5-10 years after giving birth, especially when the milk ducts are heated and expanded after bathing, and the milk overflow that was previously accumulated in the deep part of the ducts is normal.