Mastalgia; is this commonly associated with operable breast cancer?
Smallwood, J.A.; Kye, D.A.; Taylor, I.
Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England 68(5): 262-263
1986
ISSN/ISBN: 0035-8843 PMID: 3789622 Document Number: 271534
A detailed analysis by questionnaire of breast pain in 460 newly referred patients at a specialized breast clinic revealed that only 1.5% of patients with pain had an early breast cancer. Of all 44 cancers 8 were painful but only 4 considered early. All these had nipple retraction. We conclude that although breast pain is rarely associated with cancer, localized pain must be fully investigated to exclude this diagnosis.