Disorders of the Breasts - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, benign and malignant conditions, diagnostic procedures, surgical interventions, and treatments related to disorders of the breasts.

Benign breast disorder

Any noncancerous breast abnormality that comes to clinical attention via imaging or as a palpable lesion upon physical examination.

Breast augmentation

A surgical procedure by which breast size is enhanced using saline-filled or silicone gel-filled implants for aesthetic or reconstructive purposes.

Breast cancer

A neoplastic disease in which normal body cells mutate and grow out of control, creating a malignant mass or tumor.

Breast-conserving surgery

The wide local excision (lumpectomy) of a tumor along with a 1-cm margin of normal tissue to remove malignant cells while preserving breast tissue.

Breast self-awareness

A practice in which an individual is familiar with the normal consistency and appearance of their breasts to notice any changes that occur.

Carcinoma

A malignant tumor that occurs in epithelial tissue and tends to infiltrate surrounding tissues and give rise to metastases.

Chemotherapy

The use of drugs that are toxic to rapidly dividing cells and interfere with cell reproduction as a systemic treatment for cancer.

Duct ectasia

A benign disorder that occurs when milk ducts become congested with secretions and debris, leading to periductal inflammation.

Endocrine therapy

Systemic treatment aimed at blocking or countering the effect of estrogen on hormone receptor-positive breast cancer cells.

Fibroadenomas

Common benign, solid breast tumors composed of fibrous and glandular tissue that are freely mobile, round, firm, and rubbery upon palpation.

Mammography

A screening and diagnostic procedure involving x-ray images of the breast compressed between plastic plates to detect lesions or early malignancies.

Modified radical mastectomy

Surgical removal of breast tissue, underlying fascia of the pectoralis muscle, and a few positive axillary nodes (usually about 10).

Nonproliferative epithelial lesions

A type of benign breast lesion—including breast cysts and fibrocystic changes—that is not associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.

Simple (total) mastectomy

Surgical removal of all breast tissue, the nipple, areola, and underlying fascia of the pectoral muscle, while sparing axillary nodes and pectoral muscles.

Nonlactational mastitis

A benign breast disorder often caused by duct ectasia, presenting with greenish nipple discharge, nipple retraction, periductal inflammation, and noncyclical pain.

Fibrocystic breast changes

A benign condition caused by overgrowth of fibrous tissue in connective tissue accompanied by fluid-filled cysts, leading to cyclic pain and tenderness fluctuating with menses.

Cryoablation

A procedure where extremely cold gas is piped into a tumor using ultrasound guidance to freeze and destroy the mass as an alternative to surgery.

Advanced breast biopsy instrument (ABBI)

A diagnostic biopsy tool that uses a rotating circular knife to remove a larger cylinder of breast tissue for pathologic evaluation.

Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC)

The most common form of breast cancer (70% to 80% of all cases), originating in the mammary ducts and invading surrounding fatty breast tissue.

Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC)

The second most common breast cancer (8% of cases), originating in terminal lobular units and presenting as an area of ill-defined tissue thickening.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy

A procedure that identifies and removes the first lymph node receiving drainage from a breast tumor to evaluate for metastasis without traditional full axillary dissection.

Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs)

A class of antiestrogenic drugs (such as tamoxifen) that bind to estrogen receptors on breast cells to block estrogen from signaling cell growth.

Aromatase inhibitors

Oral endocrine agents (such as letrozole, exemestane, and anastrozole) that block the conversion of androgens into estrogens in postmenopausal patients.

Brachytherapy

A form of internal radiation therapy where radioactive seeds or pellets are placed directly into the lumpectomy site using a balloon catheter.

Reach to Recovery (RTR)

An American Cancer Society program where trained breast cancer survivors offer understanding, peer support, and hope to newly diagnosed patients.