[Why should benign mastopathies be treated medically?]

This paper analyses the different therapeutic approaches that can be used for the treatment of benign breast diseases. These different options vary according to our understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease. It is very important to know exactly what sort of benign breast disease is being treated in terms of pathological abnormalities in order to obtain objective evaluations of the efficiency of any given hormone treatment (mainly progestogens, Danazol and Bromocriptine). It is also very important to know whether the treatment can change some of the cellular abnormalities that carry a high risk of breast cancer. These are: various forms of lobular hyperplasia. Last of all, it is important to know whether hormone treatment of benign breast disease can be considered as a way of preventing breast cancer. It is only by carrying out a large epidemiological study on patients who have been correctly matched and have been treated under the same protocol that such speculative questions can be answered.