Breast Basics << Breast Cancer << womenshealth.gov

Breast Basics

A woman’s breast is made of glandular tissue, connective tissue, fatty tissue, blood, lymph, and nerves. Each breast contains up to 20 sections of glandular tissue called lobes. Each lobe has many smaller sections called lobules, where milk is made. Milk flows from the lobules through thin tubes called ducts to the nipple. The nipple is the small raised area at the tip of the breast. The areola is the area of darker-colored skin around the nipple. Each breast also contains lymph vessels. These are thin tubes that carry lymph to small, bean-shaped glands called lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are found near the breast, under the arm, and throughout the body. Lymph nodes and lymph vessels are part of the lymph system, which helps your body fight disease and infection. The chest muscle and chest wall are behind the breasts.

The look and feel of a woman’s breasts change over the course of her life. Some women notice lumpiness or tenderness during or just before their menstrual periods. During pregnancy, a woman’s breast might become fuller and firmer as her body prepares to breastfeed. As a woman ages, her breasts might lose firmness as the milk-producing tissue turns into soft, fatty tissue. You should know the way your breasts normally look and feel so you can tell your doctor about any changes you notice. Not all lumps or breast changes mean you have cancer or a problem, but any change in breast tissue should be checked by a doctor.

Additional Resources

Publications

Fact Sheet — Breast Awareness and Breast Self-Exam — This fact sheet provides information on breast self-examinations (BSE). It discusses how frequently women should perform BSE, how to do it properly, and what to feel for when you are doing one.

http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/breast-self-exam.cfm

Fact Sheet — Breast Cancer — This fact sheet provides information on why women should be concerned about breast cancer and gives resources for more information.

http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/breast-cancer.cfm

Mammograms and Breast Health: An Information Guide for Women — This booklet explains normal breast health, breast cancer, and mammograms, and lists resources for more information about where to get a mammogram.

http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/pdf/cdc_mammogram_brochure.pdf

Understanding Breast Changes: A Health Guide for Women — This booklet explains normal, age-related breast changes you may experience throughout your life and how they differ from changes that indicate breast cancer. It also discusses mammograms and maintaining your breast health.

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/understanding-breast-changes/allpages

What You Need to Know About Breast Cancer — This booklet provides valuable information about breast cancer, including causes, screening, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. Additionally, this booklet offers women with breast cancer information on how to cope with the disease.

http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/wyntk/breast

Just for Teens: A Teen Guide to Breast Care (Copyright © Breast Cancer Network of Strength) — This brochure for teens explains the benefits of taking control of your breast health. It also includes a diagram on how to do a breast self-exam.

http://www.networkofstrength.org/information/publications/generalpubs/teenbrochurebcnos.pdf...

Organizations

= Indicates Federal Resources

Content last updated September 28, 2009.