Glossary
Antibiotic: A drug that treats certain types of infections.
Atypical Hyperplasia: A condition in which cells in the breast ducts or lobes are increasing in number and do not look normal under a microscope.
Benign: Not cancer.
Biopsy: A minor surgical procedure to remove a small piece of tissue that is then examined under a microscope in a laboratory.
Cells: The smallest units of a structure in the body; the building blocks for all parts of the body.
Cyst: A sac or pouch filled with fluid.
Fibroadenoma: A type of solid, benign breast mass.
Hormone: A substance made in the body by cells or organs that controls the function of cells or organs. An example is estrogen, which controls the function of female reproductive organs.
Hormone Therapy: Treatment in which estrogen and often progestin are taken to help relieve some of the symptoms caused by low levels of these hormones.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): A method of viewing internal organs and structures by using a strong magnetic field and sound waves.
Mammography: An imaging technique in which X-rays of the breast are used to detect breast cancer. The image that is created is called a mammogram.
Mastitis: Infection of the breast tissue.
Menopause: The time in a woman’s life when menstruation stops; defined as the absence of menstrual periods for 1 year.
Nonproliferative: A term used to describe a benign breast mass containing normal cells.
Obstetrician–Gynecologist (Ob-Gyn): A physician with special skills, training, and education in women’s health.
Proliferative Without Atypia: A term that describes a benign breast mass in which the cells are increasing in number but are otherwise normal.
Ultrasound Exam: A test in which sound waves are used to examine internal structures.