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Case 3 Benign Mass

Benign Mass

Types of Benign Masses and How to Differentiate Them

Typically, benign masses are abnormal growths in the human body that may swell into a lump or tumor. However, benign tumors are not cancerous as they do not spread into the adjacent tissues the way cancer does. This property makes benign masses noncancerous or not malignant even though they may resemble cancerous swellings. The most common types of benign tumors include fibroids, adenomas, lipomas, moles, myomas, meningiomas, and hemangiomas. The easiest way to differentiate the benign masses is by the location in the human body and the tissues where they originate.

Fibromas

Fibromas are benign masses better known as fibroids. These benign tumors are usually fibrous or connective tissues that commonly grow in the uterus, even though they can occur in other body parts (Valentin, et al. 2001). They are treatable, primarily through surgery.

Adenomas

These benign lumps are gland-like structures that attack the epithelial tissue of the gland. Although they are treatable with surgery, these benign tumors can sometimes be malignant.

Lipomas

Lipomas are noncancerous growth masses that grow from fat cells. These benign masses may be soft to touch, movable, and round and usually grow gradually. They are treatable by liposuction, surgery, or even with the use of steroid shots.

Moles

Moles are also another type of benign mass that occur on the skin. The skin growths are also known as Nevi and are typically pink, black or brown in color. However, unusual skin moles may be a sign of skin cancer known as melanoma (Valentin, et al. 2001).

Myomas

When benign tumors grow in the muscles, they are referred to as myomas. If they are not painful, they are left untouched as doctors wait and watch. Alternatively, they can be treated by removing them via surgery or suppressed through medication to shrink them.

Meningiomas

Some benign masses may grow around the brain or the spinal cord. These kinds of lumps are known as meningiomas and may be treated through surgery or radiation if they can not be removed.

Hemangiomas

Sometimes, benign tumors are not growths but rather blood build-ups causing a lump or mass. Hemangiomas is the name given to the build-up of blood vessels carrying blood into the skin and internal organs. These benign masses may clear on their own or can be treated using medication that reduces the blood build-up.

Different Types of Breast Tissue Sampling Procedures

Benign lumps are tested if they are malignant or not through a biopsy, which involves removing some tissues for sampling and studying the aspects of the tissue samples in a lab. There are at least three types of breast tissue sampling procedures to be done on benign masses to determine if they are cancerous or not. The first procedure is the use of Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) biopsy (Fabian, et al. 2005). The procedure involves using a thin needle injected into the mass to extract some fluid or tissue for testing. The other procedure is a core needle biopsy, where a large needle is injected into the lump.

Consequently, small cylindrical tissues called cores are obtained and tested in the lab to determine if they are malignant or not. Breast tissues are also sampled through the open or surgical biopsy procedure. The doctor may cut a small part of the lump or remove all of it and test in the lab for cancer.

Clinical Presentations of Malignant Breast Cancer

When a patient is sent to the lab for breast tissue biopsy, the physician may have seen some clinical presentations of breast cancer and needs the biopsy tests to clarify or confirm whether the patient is at risk of having malignant breast cancer or not. Some of these clinical presentations of malignant breast cancer include flaky skin on the nipple or the affected area of the breast with some redness (Tan, 2016). Some patients may experience discharge on the nipple, not milk but other components such as blood or pus. Other clinical presentations are swelling, dimpling, and pain on the affected area of the breast. It is also vital to take a breast tissue biopsy if one has a lump in the breast or under the armpit with or without irritation to ascertain that it is not a sign of malignant breast cancer.

Parameters Incorporated in Health Assessment

For the health assessments to reach maximal health potential on individuals, they must include other parameters other than the physiological ones. They must evaluate the patients by assessing their health history, physical status by observation and documentation of the findings (Augustin, et al, 2020).

Different Family Developmental Stages

Typically, there are at least four different family developmental stages. They include coupling, parenting, middle-age years, and retirement. During the ‘dating’ family developmental stage, an individual moves from being an unattached adult to newlyweds or newly married adults after dating. The parenting stage may entail steps like child-bearing, upbringing of kids, and the kids start schooling. Parents are likely to have school-age children and teenagers in the middle-age family developmental stage, while some may also launch into their careers (Everymind, 2013). During the retirement stage, the parents no longer work and they need more assistance with home care as their children settle in their careers and families.

Family Structure

Typically, a family structure is formed by people from a similar household connected by either blood or marriage. The function of a family structure is to assist in supporting, caring, loving, and providing to each family member (McLanahan & Percheski, 2008). When it comes to healthcare, family structure is essential in getting the medical history of a family, especially in cases where there are genetic diseases that may be passed down the lineage.

References

Augustin, I. M., Spruit, M. A., Franssen, F. M., Gaffron, S., van Merode, F., & Wouters, E. F. (2020). Incorporating comprehensive assessment parameters to better characterize and plan rehabilitation for persons with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 21(12), 1986-1991.

Everymind. (2013). The Family Life Cycle. Everymind. https://everymind.imgix.net/assets/Uploads/chirp-t…

Fabian, C. J., Kimler, B. F., Mayo, M. S., & Khan, S. A. (2005). Breast-tissue sampling for risk assessment and prevention. Endocrine-related cancer, 12(2), 185-213.

McLanahan, S., & Percheski, C. (2008). Family structure and the reproduction of inequalities. Annu. Rev. Sociol, 34, 257-276.

Tan, A. R. (2016, June). Cutaneous manifestations of breast cancer. In Seminars in oncology (Vol. 43, No. 3, pp. 331-334). WB Saunders.

Valentin, L., Hagen, B., Tingulstad, S., & Eik‐Nes, S. (2001). Comparison of ‘pattern recognition’and logistic regression models for discrimination between benign and malignant pelvic masses: a prospective cross validation. Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology: The Official Journal of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology, 18(4), 357-365.

Whiteside, M. F. (1982). Remarriage: A family developmental process. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 8(2), 59-68.