A woman who has never been pregnant is being treated for mastitis. Which information should the nurse provide?

Question

1. "Because you have never been pregnant, having mastitis increases your risk of breast cancer.".
2. "Mastitis is rare in women who are not breastfeeding.".
3. "We must differentiate between mastitis and a phyllodes tumor before we can predict whether your condition is malignant.".
4. "We should run a pregnancy test because some patients develop mastitis as an initial sign of pregnancy.".

Answer 1

2
Rationale 1: Mastitis in lactating and nonlactating women is not a risk factor for breast cancer.
Rationale 2: In nonlactating women, mastitis is rare but may occur when ducts become plugged with fatty material.
Rationale 3: Mastitis and phyllodes tumor are not similar in manifestation. Neither is initially malignant, although phyllodes tumors may become so over time.
Rationale 4: Mastitis is not an initial sign of pregnancy.