We have been taught that pain means something is wrong, thus many women jump to the conclusion that it must be cancer. However, breast pain is rarely a symptom of breast cancer. Mastalgia, the term for breast pain, has not been well studied and the causes are not well understood therefore, the treatments are unclear. Breasts are a combination of fat, fibers, and glands. The fat cushions and fills out the breasts.
Fibers support the breasts and hold up the glands.
The glands or ducts and lobules are ready to make milk and prepare to do so each month. Women have different amounts of these components as determined by genes. The breasts change throughout life, from puberty through child bearing and nursing years to old age. They also change monthly with the menstrual cycle. The most common cause of breast pain is related to the cyclic hormone changes during the menstrual cycle.