# Breast adenocarcinoma

- Category: chronic
- Review status: reviewed (every claim checked against a document named on this page)
- Sources: Breast Cancer - StatPearls - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482286/ · ICPC-3 (WONCA International Classification of Primary Care, 3rd edition) class GD27.00 - condition scope only, no dose · No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care · Menon G, Alkabban FM, Ferguson T. Breast Cancer. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026 Jan-. Last Update: February 25, 2024.
- Verified date: 2026-08

## Verified against

- No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care

## Treatment metadata

- No drug therapy in primary care (Referral & Advice)

## Complete treatment card

```text
BREAST ADENOCARCINOMA
Sources: Breast Cancer - StatPearls - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482286/ · ICPC-3 (WONCA
         International Classification of Primary Care, 3rd edition) class GD27.00 - condition scope
         only, no dose · No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care · Menon G,
         Alkabban FM, Ferguson T. Breast Cancer. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL):
         StatPearls Publishing; 2026 Jan-. Last Update: February 25, 2024.
Review status: REVIEWED against the source listed above  (2026-08)

IS IT THIS? - reference only, to read alongside your own examination
  SYMPTOMS - what the patient reports (5)
    - Most cases are found incidentally, discovered on routine exam or a screening mammogram
    - A palpable lump becomes noticeable to the patient as the tumor enlarges  [skin nodule]
    - Breast pain is present in only about 5% of cases  [breast pain]
    - More advanced disease can show orange-peel skin dimpling or frank skin ulceration  [skin
      ulcer]
    - Inflammatory breast cancer can mimic a breast abscess with swelling and redness  [abscess ·
      redness]
  SIGNS - what you find (3)
    - Exam should note skin changes, nipple discharge, and edema of the breast  [nipple discharge ·
      oedema]
    - Regional lymph node basins are palpated carefully for enlarged nodes  [lymphadenopathy]
    - Exam includes both breasts checked in three positions with the arm abducted and rotated
  TESTS (12)
    - Mammography is the primary imaging tool for screening and diagnosis
    - Mammogram findings of concern include a mass, calcifications, or distorted breast architecture
    - Mammography is less reliable in dense breasts, younger women, or when compression cannot be
      tolerated
    - Ultrasound has sensitivity similar to mammography and can guide a biopsy needle
    - MRI is the most sensitive study but is slow, costly, and not widely available
    - BI-RADS scoring links the imaging appearance to the likelihood of malignancy and suggests
      management
    - A suspicious lesion is confirmed with stereotactic core needle biopsy under imaging guidance
    - Core needle biopsy is preferred over fine needle aspiration for tissue diagnosis
    - Biopsy tissue is tested for hormone receptors and HER2 status
    - Routine staging labs and scans are not needed for operable, symptom-free breast cancer
    - Baseline CBC and a metabolic panel with liver tests are obtained when neoadjuvant chemotherapy
      is planned
    - Locally advanced disease is staged with a chest, abdomen, and pelvis CT plus a bone scan or
      PET
  IF NOT THIS - what else fits (3)
    - Mastitis or a breast abscess can be mistaken for inflammatory cancer if it fails to respond to
      antibiotics
    - Traumatic fat necrosis can become firm and form a mass that resembles breast cancer
    - Fibroadenomas larger than 2 cm are usually removed to exclude a coexisting cancer
  Source  StatPearls "Breast Cancer" - disease-level clinical article
  Status  traced to the source above

1. NO DRUG THERAPY IN PRIMARY CARE (REFERRAL & ADVICE)    [1st line]
   Adult    Adenocarcinoma is the glandular histological type that accounts for the great majority
            of breast cancers, so clinically this overlaps heavily with the general 'breast cancer'
            entry above (GD27) and the GP's role is identical: recognise, refer urgently, advise on
            screening. - Refer, with advice
   Peds     Children follow the same pathway: recognise and refer. No primary-care medicine is
            implied.
   Source   No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care
   Why      Adenocarcinoma is the glandular histological type that accounts for the great majority
            of breast cancers, so clinically this overlaps heavily with the general 'breast cancer'
            entry above (GD27) and the GP's role is identical: recognise, refer urgently, advise on
            screening.
   Caution  No medicine is prescribed for this in primary care - this entry is for recognition and
            referral. Anything given is decided by the service it is referred to.
            RED FLAG - A new breast lump, especially one that is hard, fixed or irregular; nipple
            retraction or discharge, particularly bloody; skin dimpling or orange-peel change; or
            enlarged lymph nodes in the armpit: refer urgently.

Prices are indicative (dataset snapshot 2026-06); verify with the pharmacy.
```

---

Dawaa Reference is a reference for prescribers, not a medical device, and does not replace clinical judgement.

[Privacy policy](/privacy)