Hello and welcome to the Zero to Finals podcast. My name is Tom and in this episode I'm going to be talking to you about breast pain.

And you can find written notes on this topic at zero definals.com slash breast pain or in the breast surgery section of the zero to finals surgery book.

So let's get straight into it.

Breast pain or mustalgia is very common.

It can be either cyclical occurring at specific times of the menstrual cycle or non-cyclical,

unrelated to the menstrual cycle.

Pain is not typically considered a symptom of breast cancer.

After a proper assessment and without other features of breast cancer, for example, a lump or skin changes,

patients with nostalgia can generally be reassured.

Let's start by talking about cyclical breast pain.

Cycical breast pain is more common than non-cyclical breast pain and it's related to the

hormonal fluctuations that occur during the menstrual cycle. The pain typically occurs during

the two weeks before the onset of menstruation, which is

the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, and it settles during the menstrual period.

Patients with cyclical breast pain may also experience other symptoms of premenstrual

syndrome, such as low mood, bloating, fatigue and headaches.

Symptoms are typically bilateral and generalized across the entire breast area.

There may be heaviness and there may be aching in the breast.

Next let's talk about non-cyclical breast pain.

Non-cyclical breast pain is more common in women aged 40 to 50 years, and it's more likely to be

localized than cyclical breast pain.

Often no cause for the breast pain is found, however it may be caused by medications,

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