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They are usually noncancerous (benign). You may have one or multiple breast cysts. A breast cyst often feels like a grape or a water-filled balloon, but sometimes a breast cyst feels firm. Breast cysts don't require treatment unless a cyst is large and painful or uncomfortable.

Some cysts are cancerous and early treatment is vital. If left untreated, benign cysts can cause serious complications including: Infection the cyst fills with bacteria and pus, and becomes an abscess. If the abscess bursts inside the body, there is a risk of blood poisoning (septicaemia).

The American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) is the youngest of the NCI-funded clinical trials cooperative groups, having been founded in 1999 [1]. It also is the only one of the cooperative groups whose primary mission is focused on diagnostic, rather than therapeutic, medical technologies.

Complicated cysts are in between simple and complex. Although they share most of the features of simple cysts, they tend to have some debris inside them and echo back some of the ultrasound waves. However, they don't have the thick walls or obvious solid components that a complex cyst has.

Complex breast cysts have thick septations, thick walls, intracystic masses or other solid components. Between 23% and 31% are associated with malignancy; therefore, biopsy is required.

Complex cysts contain cystic and solid components and are associated with a variety of benign, atypical, and malignant pathologic diagnoses. Complex cystic breast masses have a substantial chance of being malignant; malignancy was reported in 23% (,1) and 31% (,2) of cases in two series.

While the complex cyst was estimated to be reported in approximately 5% of breast ultrasound examinations, as well as the malignancy rate of 0.3% among breast neoplasms,[1,3] it still has have a substantial probability of being malignant (23% and 31% in 2 series).

For many women, their biggest concern about a cyst is that it is, or will become, cancer. Cysts are not cancers. They are no more likely to become cancerous than any other part of the breast. There is no evidence that cysts cause cancer.

Complex cysts do have a possibility of causing cancer and will need to be biopsied and possibly removed. Using ultrasound, the cyst can be removed and a core biopsy of the solid or irregular part of the cyst can be accurately performed.

Complicated cysts are in between simple and complex. Although they share most of the features of simple cysts, they tend to have some debris inside them and echo back some of the ultrasound waves. However, they don't have the thick walls or obvious solid components that a complex cyst has.