BREAST LUMP
Condition
Breast lumps, areas of thickening or masses, are very common. Most are non-cancerous, or benign. But because many symptoms of benign breast conditions are the same as those of breast cancer, it is important to see your doctor promptly any time you notice changes in one or both breasts.
Causes
Many of these benign changes are related to the changes in hormone levels associated with your menstrual cycle, making them swollen, tender and lumpy before and during your period. Other conditions that may cause a breast lump include:
- Fibrocystic changes, a benign condition that may involve an inflammation of fibrous tissues in the breast
- Breast cysts, fluid-filled sacs
- Fibroadenoma, a solid tumor made up of connective tissue
- Trauma to the breast that causes fatty cells to die and form a lump
- Phyllodes tumor, an area of connective tissue in the breast that grows into a lump
- Intraductal papilloma, a growth in the milk duct that is usually found around the nipple area
- Lipoma, a fat tumor
- Breast abscess, infection that is contained in a cavity
- Breast cancer, the biggest concern when finding a lump in your breast. Most breast lumps that turn out to be cancers are found by chance, not during a exam by a health care provider, during a breast self- breast examination or as a result of a mammogram. The lump feels irregular and stony hard and, in the early stages, it usually is not painful. There are other signs or symptoms that, along with a lump, may be present with breast cancer:
- Breast discharge, which may be clear, discolored or bloody
- Retraction or dimpling of the nipple
- Retraction or puckering of the skin
- Difference in size and shape of each breast
- Pitting of the skin over the lump so that it resembles the skin of an orange
- A lump in the lymph nodes in the armpit
- A red, swollen and usually painful rash on one or both breasts
Some of these symptoms, such as nipple discharge, may also occur with benign conditions. Generally, the younger a women is, the more likely a breast lump is not cancer. Having several lumps in both breasts is commonly due to a benign condition.
Although there is no specific known cause of breast cancer, there are many risk factors. The three most common are:
- Hereditary, especially if your mother or sister had breast cancer
- Carrying certain genes, BRCA1 or BRCA2
- Increasing age, especially being over age 65
Other risk factors include:
- getting your period before age 12 or going through menopause after age 55
- having a history of breast cancer or cancer of the uterus, ovary or intestine
- having calcifications, tiny mineral deposits within the breast tissue that show up like small white spots on mammograms
- never having given birth or giving birth after age 30
- never having breast-fed
- being obese
- taking hormone therapy (estrogen/progesterone) or being on birth control pills past age 40
- being of Eastern European (Ashkanazi) Jewish descent
Among the many tests and procedures used to diagnose the underlying cause of a breast lump are ultrasound, mammogram, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and needle or incision biopsy.
WHEN TO CALL YOUR DOCTOR FOR A BREAST LUMP
Call Your Doctor Right Away (night or day) If
- You feel a lump in your breast; your breast is red, swollen and painful; and you have a fever of 100 degrees F or higher.
Call Your Doctor Within 24 hours If
- You find a lump in your breast.
- You have breast discharge.
- You notice that one or both breasts look different than usual.
- You notice dimpling or retraction of the nipple or skin of the breast.
- You feel a lump in your armpit.
- Your breasts continue to feel painful and swollen after your period is over.
- Your breast becomes red, swollen and painful.
Call Your Doctor During Regular Office Hours If
- You need an appointment for a mammogram.
- You need a prescription pain medication for breast tenderness and swelling that occur with your periods.
- One or both breasts feel different than they have before.
HOME CARE ADVICE FOR BREAST LUMPS
- If you still menstruate, examine your breasts every month after your period. If you no longer get periods, examine your breasts monthly on the same day of the month.
- Get a thorough physical examination, including a breast examination, every year.
- To relieve breast tenderness that occurs with your menstrual cycle, use non-prescription medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Motrin), naproxen (Aleve) or aspirin.
- Get mammograms on the schedule recommended by your doctor.
- Get genetic counseling if someone in your immediate family (mother, sister) has had breast cancer before age 50. Consider getting genetic counseling if your maternal grandmother or a maternal aunt has had the disease before age 50.
- Maintain an appropriate weight, especially if you have gone through menopause or have any risk factors for developing breast cancer. Being overweight also increases your risk.
- Exercise regularly to help with weight control.
- Don't drink a lot of alcohol. Alcohol consumption increases the risk of breast cancer.
For More Information Click on the Links Below
- National Cancer Institute Breast Lump
- American Cancer Society Breast Lump
References
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists ACOG Bulletin, Breast Cancer Screening, Number 42, April 2003.
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, ACOG Precis V 1994, Cancer of the Breast, Page 301.
- Diagnosis of Disease of the Breast, Second Edition, 2005, L. W. Bassett, MD, P. Jackson, MD, K. L. FU, MD, Yao S. Fu, MD.
- Breast Disease for Gynecologists, 1989; William H. Hindle, MD.
Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new healthcare information becomes available. The information is intended to inform and educate and is not a replacement for medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional