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Posted by Shelly Blechman on 9/9/2003 from 216.117.218.35:

In reply to: Please, need help!! posted by Pam on 9/9/2003 from 68.0.33.192:

I think it is wonderful that you are diligent about examining your breasts, however, nipple squeezing should not be part of regular breast exam because many women will have a discharge when they squeeze their nipples.

The good news is that approximately 95% of women who are examined for nipple discharge have a benign (noncancerous) cause for the discharge.

There can be any number of reasons why you have a discharge your nipples nipple.

Nipple discharge accompanies some benign breast conditions. Since the breast is a gland, secretions from the nipple of a mature woman are not unusual, nor even signs of disease. For example, small amounts of discharge commonly occur in women taking birth control pills or certain other medications, including sedatives and tranquilizers. If the discharge is being caused by a disease, the disease is more likely to be benign than cancerous.

Nipple discharges come in a variety of colors and textures. A milky discharge can be traced to many causes, including thyroid malfunction and oral contraceptives or other drugs. Women with generalized breast lumpiness may have a sticky discharge that is brown or green.

A doctor should take a sample of the discharge and send it to a laboratory to be analyzed. Benign sticky discharges are treated by keeping the nipple clean. A discharge caused by infection may require antibiotics.

One of the most common causes of a bloody or sticky discharge is an intraductal papilloma, a small, wartlike growth that projects into breast ducts near the nipple. Any slight bump or bruise in the area of the nipple can cause the papilloma to bleed. Single intraductal papilloms usually affect women nearing menopause. If the discharge becomes bothersome, the diseased duct can be removed surgically without damaging the appearance of the breast. Multiple intraductal papillomas, in contrast, are more common in younger women. They often occur in both breasts and are more likely to be associated with a lump than with nipple discharge. Multiple intraductal papillomas, or any papillomas associated with a lump need to be removed.*

Don’t worry about rushing to the doctor now. Take time to recover from your recent surgery and if the nipple discharge is still occurring, then definitely have your doctor examine you.

I hope this has helped allay some concerns. Please let me know if we can be of any further assistance as I would be glad to send you information as well. You may forward me your name and address via email or call our toll free number: 1-866-2 WIN ABC (294-6222).

Shelly Blechman
Program Director
WIN Against Breast Cancer


*source: National Cancer Institute

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