fibrocystic breast disease

3.3

A non-cancerous breast condition with small fluid lumps and firm areas that can be painful

noun
/ˌfaɪbroʊˈsɪstɪk brɛst dɪˈziːz/

Specialized

: enfermedad fibroquística de la mama

Doctors often recommend dietary changes for those suffering from fibrocystic breast disease to help alleviate symptoms.

Examples

Many women experience discomfort due to fibrocystic breast disease, which causes lumpiness in the breast tissue.
Breast pain, fibrocystic breast disease, these things can come from a low thyroid.
Regular self-exams are important for detecting changes in the breasts, especially for those with fibrocystic breast disease.

Synonyms

fibrocystic disease of the breast

vsfibrocystic breast disease

Specialized

4.2

A breast condition with small fluid-filled lumps and firm tissue that is not cancer and may cause pain

is the same but uses a different phrase order

Surface Forms

fibrocystic breast disease singular

fibrocystic breast diseases plural

Morphology

fibrocystic + breast + disease

The phrase denotes a breast disease characterized by fibrous tissue and cysts, which is directly and compositionally derived from the constituents 'fibrocystic' (fibrous + cystic) + 'breast' + 'disease'. Medical compound naming follows regular semantic composition and similar compounds exist across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would be able to infer the meaning.

Etymology

Fibrocystic breast disease comes from its parts: fibro (firm breast tissue) and cystic (small fluid pockets). This picture explains why the breasts can feel 'lumpy' and sometimes 'hurt', so the name describes a common condition that is usually 'not cancer'.