Human health and medicine

Brazilian purpuric fever

Brazilian purpuric fever, in Portuguese febre purpúrica brasileira, is a severe childhood infection first recognized in Brazil in 1984, with case-fatality rates of 40% to 90%.

BREAKFAST trial (NCT04248998), a Milan phase II study of fasting-mimicking diet plus/minus metformin with neoadjuvant chemotherapy in 30 early-stage triple-negative breast cancer patients, reporting 56.6% pCR and early glycolysis downmodulation as a response biomarker.

BREAKFAST-2 trial

BREAKFAST-2 (NCT05763992) is an Italian multicenter randomized phase II trial testing whether cyclic fasting-like diet cycles added to preoperative chemoimmunotherapy with pembrolizumab raise pathologic complete response rates in stage II-III triple-negative breast cancer.

Breast

The breast (mammary gland) is the chest glandular organ of lobes, ducts, and fat that develops under estrogen, GH, and IGF-1, produces milk via prolactin and oxytocin, and is the site of breast cancer.

Breast abscess

Breast abscess, also called mammary or puerperal abscess (ICD-11 GB21.0), is a localized pus collection in the breast, usually complicating mastitis; treated by aspiration or incision and drainage with antibiotics, nonlactational forms recur in 25-57%.

Breast augmentation

Breast augmentation, also called augmentation mammoplasty, enlarges the breasts with FDA-approved saline or silicone gel implants or fat transfer. Key facts: first silicone implant 1962, 1992 FDA moratorium, BIA-ALCL risk with textured implants, implants are not lifetime devices.

Breast cancer

Breast cancer, cancer arising in breast duct or lobule cells, is the most common cancer in women and leading cause of female cancer death; 2.43 million new cases in 2024, five-year survival over 90% in high-income countries versus about 40% in South Africa.

Breast development

Breast development: lifelong mammary gland formation from hormone-independent prenatal ductal tree through pubertal thelarche (Tanner stages, ages ~8.5–13.5), estrogen/progesterone/GH-IGF-I control, pregnancy lactation, involution, gynecomastia, and congenital variants.

Breast disease

Breast disease is any condition affecting the breast, spanning malignant conditions, chiefly breast cancer, and benign inflammatory, fibroepithelial, and hormonal disorders; evaluation typically uses triple assessment.

Breast duct lavage

Breast duct lavage, also known as ductal lavage, is a diagnostic procedure that flushes fluid from the milk ducts through the nipple to collect epithelial cells for cytologic examination.

Breast hypertrophy

Breast hypertrophy (macromastia, gigantomastia) is excessive benign breast tissue growth in females, defined by over 5 pounds or 3% body weight excess, treated with medication or reduction surgery.

Breast implant

Breast implant: saline- or silicone gel-filled prosthetic device with a silicone shell for augmentation or reconstruction. FDA-approved types, generations, complications (capsular contracture, rupture), BIA-ALCL, and safety evidence.

Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma

Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), also called seroma-associated ALCL, is a rare CD30-positive, ALK-negative T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma arising in the capsule around textured breast implants, typically 7-10 years after placement, treated by en bloc resection.

Breast milk

Breast milk (human milk), the milk produced by human mothers to feed infants; over a thousand bioactive components, WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for six months, ~47% global rate.

Breast reconstruction

Breast reconstruction is surgery that rebuilds a breast after mastectomy or lumpectomy, using an implant or the patient's own tissue; about 80% of US procedures use implants.

Breast reduction

Breast reduction (reduction mammaplasty) is surgery removing breast skin and tissue to relieve macromastia symptoms; pedicle techniques, 2.5% major complications, improved quality of life, 76,040 US procedures in 2025.

Breast self-examination

Breast self-examination (BSE) is a screening method in which a woman inspects and palpates her own breasts to detect lumps, though large trials found no mortality benefit.

Breast ultrasonography

Breast ultrasonography, introduced by John J. Wild and John M. Reid in 1952, uses high-frequency sound waves to visualize breast tissue, detect lesions, and guide biopsies as a standard adjunct to mammography.

Breast ultrasound

Breast ultrasound is a diagnostic imaging method using high-frequency sound waves to tell fluid-filled cysts from solid masses, supplement mammography in dense breasts, and guide needle biopsies.

Oct 20, 2026

Breast-1F trial

Breast-1F (NCT06946238) is a randomized non-inferiority trial at IRCCS San Raffaele, Milan, testing single-fraction 15.5 Gy stereotactic APBI with SIB to 21 Gy versus 30 Gy in 5 fractions in 311 women with favorable early-stage breast cancer.

Breast-conserving surgery

Breast-conserving surgery, also called lumpectomy or partial mastectomy, removes a breast cancer tumor with a rim of healthy tissue while keeping the breast; radiation follows, and survival equals mastectomy.

Breast-conserving therapy

Breast-conserving therapy, also called lumpectomy with radiation, treats early-stage breast cancer by removing the tumor with healthy tissue margins while keeping the breast, with survival equal to mastectomy.

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding: feeding an infant milk from the breast. WHO, AAP, and Dietary Guidelines recommend exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months, continuing to 2 years or older; US exclusive rate at 6 months is 29.8%.

Breath holding

Breath holding, a voluntary or involuntary pause in breathing (ICD-11 MD11.3), ends at a breakpoint driven by rising CO2, lung stretch, and involuntary override; includes childhood breath-holding spells and freediving physiology.

Breath test

A breath test measures gases in exhaled breath to detect disease, chiefly the urea breath test for H. pylori and hydrogen tests for malabsorption and SIBO.

Breathing

Breathing (ventilation) is the rhythmic movement of air into and out of the lungs for gas exchange. Key facts: 12–16 breaths/min at rest, brainstem and chemoreceptor control, alveolar oxygen uptake, Lavoisier's early measurements.

Breathing Exercises

Breathing exercises (respiratory muscle training, pranayama, Buteyko, pursed lip and diaphragmatic breathing) are therapeutic exercises altering respiration rate, depth, and rhythm, used in COPD, asthma, and dysfunctional breathing.

BrECADD regimen

BrECADD is a combination chemotherapy regimen for advanced-stage classical Hodgkin lymphoma, combining brentuximab vedotin with etoposide, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, dacarbazine, and dexamethasone; it outperformed eBEACOPP in the HD21 phase 3 trial.

BRECHE trial

BRECHE (NCT07354464) is a phase 3 randomized trial at CHU Clermont-Ferrand, France, comparing sphenopalatine ganglion block with epidural blood patch for post-dural puncture headache; 80 participants, started February 2026, completion expected February 2028.