What is the Treatment for Breast Lesions?

Breast lesions develop in the tissues found within the breast area and will lead to the formation of lumps. These lesions are caused by damage to the tissues inside the breast and if often can be caused by disease or injury. A woman performing a regular examination will be able to notice these lesions or lumps within the breasts. These lesions can also be detected during an annual doctor visit, or through a mammogram procedure. Sometimes these lesions do not cause any problems for the woman, but each lesion must be thoroughly checked and examined by a physician.

It cannot be stressed enough how important it is for a woman to make an appointment with the doctor when she notices any possible breast lesions. The doctor will be able to request certain tests like an MIR or ultrasound that will be able to further determine if a problem does exists. Once the lesion is confirmed, a biopsy will be done to place it into one of two categories; benign, which means the lesion is not cancerous, or malignant, which means the lesion is cancerous. It is estimated that about one out of every four lesions are found to be malignant. Early detection of any problems will lead to a greater chance of successful treatment.

If the breast lesions are considered to be benign or non-cancerous, the doctor and the patient will decide if any additional steps need to be taken. Although a benign lesion is not cancerous, depending on the size and shape, it can greatly increase a patient's risk for developing cancer if it is left untreated. Surgery may be a necessary step, especially if the patient has a family history of cancer. If possible, a lumpectomy will be performed, which is a slightly invasive surgery that is done to remove the lesion from the breast. If a lumpectomy cannot be performed, or is unsuccessful, a mastectomy will be the next possible solution. During a mastectomy, the entire breast, including the surrounding tissues, will be removed.

In the case of malignant or cancerous breast lesions, a more aggressive treatment will need to be done. Treatment to kill the cancer cells, like radiation treatment or chemotherapy, will need to be done. In additions to these treatments, a lumpectomy or mastectomy may also need to be done. In recent years, much success has been made in breast cancer treatment. The key to having a higher success rate is the early detection of breast lesions which may be caused by cancerous tumors.