Breast pain

Abstract

Breast pain, also known as mastalgia, is a common symptom experienced by women, affecting almost two-thirds of women at some stage of their lives. The pain can be episodic or constant, affecting one or both breasts, and can be classified as cyclical, related to the menstrual cycle, non-cyclical, and extra-mammary. Breast pain is uncommon in men. Breast pain can cause patient anxiety, particularly about breast cancer, even though breast pain alone is not a common symptom of breast cancer. Most patients with breast pain can be safely managed in primary care without needing referral to secondary care. This article will discuss the causes, assessment, management, and the referral criteria to secondary care for breast pain, according to the current guidelines.