Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

breadbasket
A popular term for the stomach.
breakbone fever
See 
dengue fever.
breast
The front of the chest or the mammary
gland. The mammary gland is a milk-producing
gland that is largely composed of fat. Within the
mammary gland are sac-like structures called lob-
ules, which produce the milk, as well as a complex
network of branching ducts. These ducts exit from
the lobules at the nipple. The lobules and ducts are
supported in the breast by surrounding fatty tissue
and ligaments. The breast contains blood vessels
and lymphatics, but no muscles. The lymphatics are
thin channels similar to blood vessels; they do not
carry blood, but they collect and carry tissue fluid,
which ultimately reenters the bloodstream. Breast
tissue fluid drains through the lymphatics into the
lymph nodes located in the armpit and behind the
breastbone (sternum). The appearance of the nor-
mal female breast differs greatly among individuals
and at different times during a woman’s life: before,
during, and after adolescence; during pregnancy;
during the menstrual cycle; and after menopause.
The nipple of the breast becomes erect because of
cold, breastfeeding, and sexual activity. The pig-
mented area around the nipple is called the areola.
See also 
gland, mammary.
breast, infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the
One of several recognized specific patterns of breast
cancer that begins in the cells that form the ducts of
the breast. The most common form of breast can-
cer, it may appear as a smooth-edged lump in the
breast. On physical examination, this lump usually
feels much harder or firmer than benign lumps in
the breast.
breast, infiltrating lobular carcinoma of the
The second most common invasive breast cancer.
Infiltrating lobular carcinoma starts in the lobules,
the glands that secrete milk, and then infiltrates sur-
rounding tissue. Lobular carcinoma can occur in