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8.5: Key Terms

  • Page ID
    104552
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    benign breast changes
    umbrella term that encompasses several different noncancerous conditions that occur in the breast tissue, including trauma, breast pain, infection, skin changes, nipple discharge, and tumors
    biologic response modifier
    medication that uses the patient’s own immune system to recognize and get rid of cancer cells
    BRCA1
    gene associated with increased risk of breast cancer when mutations occur in it
    BRCA2
    gene associated with increased risk of breast cancer when mutations occur in it
    calcification
    calcium deposit found in the breast tissue that is usually benign but can sometimes indicate an early breast cancer
    core needle biopsy (CNA)
    procedure that removes a larger amount of tissue for analysis because it uses a larger hollow needle
    fibroadenoma
    painless, noncancerous tumor found in the breast tissue
    fibrocystic breast changes
    changes in either or both breasts that can cause lumpiness, or nodularity, or pain in the affected breast(s)
    fibrosis
    thickening of the glandular tissue
    fine needle aspiration (FNA)
    placement of a small needle (21 g to 25 g) into the lesion to obtain a tissue or fluid sample
    HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2)
    protein important in cell growth that, when found in high levels in breast cancer cells, causes the cancer to grow more quickly and spread more aggressively
    intraductal papilloma
    benign tumor that grows inside the milk ducts of the breasts
    lumpectomy
    surgical procedure that removes the tumor, a small ring of healthy tissue around the tumor (to ensure that all cancer cells are removed) and, possibly, some axillary lymph nodes
    mammary ductal ectasia
    (also: periductal mastitis) chronic inflammation of the breast tissue that also causes dilated mammary ducts with thickened walls; plasma cell infiltration; leakage of fluid into the surrounding tissue, leading to inflammation and fat necrosis; and sometimes the formation of an abscess
    mammography
    the x-ray visualization of the breast tissue, obtained by compressing the breast between two plates
    mastalgia
    breast pain
    mastectomy
    the removal of the entire breast, including the nipple and areola
    multiple papillomas
    papillomas found in the smaller milk ducts farther from the nipple
    nonlactation mastitis
    an inflammation of the breast tissue in a non–breast-feeding person, which may or may not occur with an infection
    periductal mastitis (PDM)
    (also: mammary ductal ectasia) chronic inflammation of the breast tissue that also causes dilated mammary ducts with thickened walls; plasma cell infiltration; leakage of fluid into the surrounding tissue, leading to inflammation and fat necrosis; and sometimes the formation of an abscess
    solitary papilloma
    individual, single tumor that grows close to the nipple in the larger milk ducts
    triple negative cancer
    cancer that is negative for HER2 protein and estrogen/progesterone receptors
    triple positive cancer
    cancer that is positive for HER2 protein and estrogen/progesterone receptors

    This page titled 8.5: Key Terms is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by OpenStax via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.

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