Self-Assessment Questions

39. Benign and malignant diseases of the breast

• A 50-year-old woman comes into clinic with concerns about developing breast cancer after having heard of a distant cousin recently being diagnosed with the disease. She reports a history of cyclical breast pain in her younger years, as well as previously being able to express some discharge from her breasts many years ago. She is otherwise healthy and recently had a mammogram which returned negative results. What symptoms would you advise her to watch for regarding her concerns?

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  Correct answer:
  After the age of 40, a breast mass with associated discharge should warrant a workup for breast cancer. There is a greater concern for malignancy if the discharge is unilateral or contains blood.