Can Accessory Breasts Develop into Breast Cancer?
Accessory breasts are a common developmental anomaly in women. They are often underdeveloped tissues, resembling infantile breasts, or manifesting only as localized skin pigmentation with a slight thickening at the center, similar to a small nipple. Some have only breast tissue, others only a nipple, while some exhibit a complete accessory breast (nipple, areola, glandular tissue) in the axilla, which may be quite large. Accessory breasts may swell and become painful before menstruation, significantly enlarge during pregnancy, and even secrete milk during lactation.
Accessory breasts generally have no significant impact on health, but they may cause psychological distress and inconvenience in daily life. Approximately 0.1% of women with accessory breasts develop breast cancer. Because their location differs from normal breasts, they are sometimes overlooked. Therefore, if an accessory breast enlarges, causes discomfort, or a lump raises suspicion of tumor, medical consultation is advised.
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