Overview
A breast cyst is a noncancerous (benign), fluid-filled sac in your breast. It occurs when fluid fills an empty milk duct. Some cysts are too small to feel, while others grow up to several inches — large enough for you to feel and even make you uncomfortable. Clusters of cysts can form in one breast or both. Breast cysts don’t increase your risk of developing breast cancer. They also don’t “turn into” anything more serious.
You’re more likely to get breast cysts if you’re:
- Between 35 and 50 years old.
- Premenopausal (still have a menstrual cycle).
- Postmenopausal (no longer have a menstrual cycle) but take hormone therapy (HRT).
Types of breast cysts
There are three types of breast cysts:
- Simple breast cyst: Filled entirely with fluid, simple cysts are always noncancerous. There’s no solid area in the cyst and the cyst wall is smooth. They make up about 90% of all breast cysts.
- Complex breast cyst: This type of cyst, which has a mix of fluid and solid components, may be breast cancer in up to 20% of cases. Your provider typically biopsies the tissue, which means they remove part of your breast tissue and send it to a lab for analysis.
- Complicated breast cyst: A complicated cyst is fluid-filled, but may have some cloudiness to the fluid, or the borders may be somewhat irregular. Sometimes, these are aspirated with a needle biopsy and then the tissue is sent for analysis. Other times, a provider may recommend a follow-up appointment in six months because there’s just a small chance (less than 2%) of it being cancerous.
Breast cysts can also be microcysts or macrocysts. Most breast tissue contains microcysts, which are very tiny and may be seen by ultrasound or even just under a microscope. Macrocysts are larger and can often be felt.
How common are breast cysts?
Breast cysts are common. About 7% of all women and people assigned female at birth will get a breast cyst at one point in their lives.
Symptoms
When to see a doctor
Complications
- High blood pressure.
- Diabetes.
- Heart failure.
- Some types of heart valve disease.
Prevention
- Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
- Don't smoke or use tobacco.
- Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
- Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
- Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Reduce and manage stress.
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