| Macrocalcifications: |
Coarse calcium deposits. They are most likely due to aging, old injuries, or inflammations and usually are associated with benign conditions. |
| Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): |
A technique that uses a powerful magnet linked to a computer to create detailed pictures of areas inside the body. |
| Malignancy: |
State of being cancerous. Malignant tumors can invade surrounding tissues and spread to other parts of the body. |
| Mammary duct ectasia: |
A benign breast condition in which ducts beneath the nipple become dilated and sometimes inflamed, and which can cause pain and nipple discharge. |
| Mammogram: |
An x-ray of the breast. |
| Mammography: |
The examination of breast tissue using x-rays. |
| Mastectomy: |
Surgery to remove the breast (or as much of the breast as possible). |
| Mastitis: |
Infection of the breast. Mastitis is most often seen in nursing mothers. |
| Menopause: |
The time when a woman’s monthly menstrual periods cease. Menopause is sometimes called the “change of life.” |
| Menstrual cycle: |
The monthly cycle of discharge, during a woman’s reproductive years, of blood and tissues from the uterus. |
| Microcalcifications: |
Tiny deposits of calcium in the breast, which can show up on a mammogram. Certain patterns of microcalcifications are sometimes a sign of breast cancer. |
| Mutation: |
A change in the number, arrangement or molecular sequence of a gene. |
| Needle biopsy: |
Use of a needle to extract cells or bits of tissue for microscopic examination. |
| Nipple discharge: |
Fluid coming from the nipple. |
| Nonpalpable cancer: |
Cancer in breast tissue that can be seen on mammograms but that cannot be felt. |
| One-step procedure: |
Biopsy and surgical treatment combined into a single operation. |
| Osteoporosis: |
A condition of mineral loss that causes a decrease in bone density and an enlargement of bone spaces, producing bone fragility. Certain treatments for breast cancer can impact a woman’s risk of developing osteoporosis. |
| Palpation: |
Use of the fingers to press body surfaces, so as to feel tissues and organs underneath. Palpating the breast for lumps is a crucial part of a physical breast examination. |
| Pathologist: |
A doctor who diagnoses disease by studying cells and tissues under a microscope. |
| Permanent section: |
Biopsy tissue specially prepared and mounted on slides so that it can be examined under a microscope by a pathologist. |
| Phytochemicals: |
Naturally occurring chemicals found in plants that may be important nutrients for reducing a person’s cancer risk. |
| Positron emission tomography (PET scanning): |
A technique that uses signals emitted by radioactive tracers to construct images of the distribution of the tracers in the human body. |
| Prophylactic mastectomy: |
Surgery to remove a breast that is not known to contain breast cancer, for the purpose of reducing an individual’s cancer risk. |
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