Clinical and ultrasound changes in breast cysts following aspiration puncture during treatment with indole- 3-carbinol
Semenov E.V., Stepanov N.A., Troshina A.N., Zukov R.A.
Objective. To evaluate the clinical and ultrasound changes in breast cysts following fine-needle aspiration biopsy, with the concurrent administration of indole-3-carbinol.
Materials and methods. This single-center, retrospective, descriptive study included 125 female patients, aged 33.0–57.5, who complained of breast pain and had cysts classified as BI-RADS category 2 or 3, with benign cytological findings. The initial ultrasound and aspiration were performed at an oncology dispensary, while follow-up ultrasounds were conducted at outpatient oncology centers. Following the aspiration of large cysts, patients were prescribed a course of treatment with indole-3-carbinol (Indinol Forto) – 1 capsule twice daily for 6 months with a repeat ultrasound examination. Pain intensity was assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS) both before and after the initiation of drug therapy. The median duration of follow-up comprised 194 [178; 208] days.
Results. Multiple cysts were identified in 88.8% of patients, bilateral cysts in 80.0%, and palpable cysts in 71.2%. The median of the maximum diameter decreased from 28 [18; 40] mm to 17 [9; 27] mm. A reduction in the size and number of cysts was observed in 96/125 (76.8%) patients, while complete cysts regression occurred in 13/125 (10.4%). Pain resolved in 59/75 (78.7%) patients who initially presented with mastalgia. Repeat aspiration was performed in 14/125 (11.2%) patients after 188 [174; 213] days.
Conclusion. This comprehensive approach was associated with a reduction in the number and size of cysts, as well as the regression or disappearance of pain in the majority of patients. These findings reflect the efficacy of combining cyst aspiration with a subsequent course of treatment using indole-3-carbinol (Indinol Forto) at a daily dose of 400 mg.
Authors' contributions. Semenov E.V. – conduction and development of the research concept, primary objective, and specific tasks; Stepanov N.A. – research data analysis, including annotation (metadata creation), validation (error detection and correction), and ongoing management for current and future use; Troshina A.N. – participation in the research process, including conduction of experiments, data collection, collection and analysis of biological tissue and fluid samples, laboratory testing, and instrumental diagnostics; Zukov R.A. – overall supervision of the research planning and conduction, including mentorship, as well as the preparation, creation, and/or presentation of the published work by members of the research team – specifically through critical review, commentary, or revisions, encompassing both pre- and post-publication stages.
Conflicts of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interests.
Funding. The study had no sponsorship support.
Ethical Approval. The local Ethics Committee of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Clinical Oncology Dispensary named after A.I. Kryzhanovsky does not object to the publication of the article (letter from 25.09.2026).
Generstive Artificial Intelligence. No generative AI technologies were used for the creation of this article.
Patient Consent for Publication. The patients signed an informed consent for the publication of their data.
Authors' Data Sharing Statement. The data supporting the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author after approval from the principal investigator.
For citation: Semenov E.V., Stepanov N.A., Troshina A.N., Zukov R.A. Clinical and ultrasound changes in
breast cysts following aspiration puncture during treatment with indole-3-carbinol.
Akusherstvo i Ginekologiya/Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2026; (10): 129-135 (in Russian)
https://dx.doi.org/10.18565/aig.2026.332
Keywords
breast cysts
mastopathy
fine-needle aspiration biopsy
indolcarbinol
ultrasound
BI-RADS
mastalgia
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Received 08.10.2026
Accepted 23.10.2026
About the Authors
Eduard V. Semenov, PhD, Associate Professor at the Department of Oncology and Radiation Therapy with a course of software, Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky Krasnoyarsk State Medical University, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, 660022, Russia, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Krasnoyarsk, Partizan Zheleznyak str., 1; Deputy Chief Physician for Medical Affairs, Krasnoyarsk Regional Clinical Oncology Dispensary named after A.I. Kryzhanovsky, +7(923) 353-21-42, Semenov_KrasGMU@mail.ru,https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4849-1940
Nikolay A. Stepanov, PhD student at the Department of Oncology and Radiation Therapy with a course of software, Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky Krasnoyarsk State Medical University, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, 660022, Russia, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Partizan Zheleznyak str., 1; oncologist, Krasnoyarsk Regional Clinical Oncology Dispensary named after A.I. Kryzhanovsky, +7(996)428-02-76, 2216452@inbox.ru, Researcher ID: PKR-2717-2026, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6370-2865
Anastasia N. Troshina, oncologist, Head of the Polyclinic, Krasnoyarsk Regional Clinical Oncology Dispensary named after A.I. Kryzhanovsky, 660133, Russia, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Krasnoyarsk, 1st Smolenskaya str., 16, +7(391)222-40-01, troshinaan@onkolog24.ru
Ruslan A. Zukov, Dr. Med. Sci., Professor, Head of the Department of Oncology and Radiation Therapy with a course of software, Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky Krasnoyarsk State Medical University, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, 660022, Russia, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Partizan Zheleznyak str., 1; Chief Physician, Krasnoyarsk Regional Clinical Oncology Dispensary named after A.I. Kryzhanovsky, +7(391)222-40-01, zukov.ra@krasgmu.ru, Researcher ID: A-8193-2016,
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7210-3020
Corresponding author: Nikolay A. Stepanov, 2216452@inbox.ru
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