Discharge that is creamy or green in colour is usually benign. For this reason, nipple discharge should be investigated, normally by taking a smear of the discharge for microscopic examination as well as investigation of any associated lumps. The breast, or one part of it, can become inflamed showing typical signs of redness, heat, swelling and thickening of the tissues including the skin. This can be found in a number of conditions, most of which are benign. They include breast abscesses and periductal mastitis.
Breast cancer can occasionally present as an inflammatory mass.
For this reason most patients are followed up to ensure that their condition is settling. A number of genes have been identified as being associated with breast cancer including the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes on chromosomes 17 and 13 respectively. Another important gene in the development of breast cancer is the p53 gene. All of these can be transmitted through either sex during the development of the foetus. It is by no means certain however that a carrier of these will go on to develop breast cancer.