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The
breast is responsive to a complex interplay of hormones that cause the
breast tissue to develop, enlarge and produce milk. The three major
hormones affecting the breast are estrogen, progesterone and prolactin,
which cause glandular tissue in both the breast and uterus to change
during a woman's menstrual cycle. Because of reduced hormonal levels,
the breasts are less full for 1 to 2 weeks after menstrual flow;
therefore, it may be easier to detect breast lumps during this time.
Reduction of hormonal levels is also responsible for the breast's return
to its pre-pregnant state after breast-feeding is concluded.
Breast shape
and appearance change as a woman ages. In the young woman the breast
skin is stretched and expanded by the developing breasts. The breast in
the adolescent is usually hemispherical, rounded and equally full in all
areas. As a woman gets older, the topside of the breast tissue settles
to a lower position, the skin stretches and the shape of the breast
changes. After menopause, with the decrease of hormonal activity, the
composition of the breast changes; the amount of
glandular tissue decreases and fat and ductal tissue become the
predominant components of the breast. Reduction in glandular volume can
result in further looseness of the breast skin
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