Reference no: EM133632447

Question

Midge Palmer, age 58, comes in for a screening mammogram. Mrs. Palmer says that her mother and maternal grandmother both had breast cancer. She confirms she has been postmenopausal for 2 years and has a past medical history of type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and obesity. Her obstetric history is G1P1 (gravida 1, para 1). She was 31 years old when her son was born, and she never breastfed. She is concerned because she has been able to feel a mass on her right breast and a lump in her right axilla that she never noticed before. Mrs. Palmer tells you that for many years, her breasts have felt tender and lumpy, particularly around the time of her periods. She explains that the two newly detected masses are different; they are not tender and have gotten significantly larger over the past several months. She appears very anxious and asks whether this is something serious. She has also heard that there is a link between diabetes and breast cancer and would like more information.