Definition of Fibrocystic breast disease:

Fibrocystic breast disease is a commonly used phrase to describe findings on a breast exam. The word "disease" makes women worry that their breasts are abnormal, but this is not really a disease.

Most health care providers use this term when a woman has painful, lumpy breasts. Some health care providers use the phrase "fibrocystic change" because it sounds less worrisome to the patient.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

The breasts are mostly made up of tissue that is affected by hormones produced by the ovaries. Hormones change throughout a woman's menstrual cycle. They can cause the breasts to feel swollen, lumpy, and painful. After menopause, these changes in the breasts usually stop happening.

Changes in the breast with the menstrual cycle affect more than 60% of women, and are most common in women ages 30 - 50. Women who take hormone replacement therapy may have more symptoms. Women who take birth control pills have fewer symptoms.

There is no definite cause of painful, lumpy breasts. There is no proof that eating chocolate, drinking caffeine, or eating a high-fat diet can cause these symptoms.