Lumps in the breasts

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Female Breast

Causes of breast lumps

Normal female breast anatomy

Breast lump removal - series

Lumps in the breasts

Alternative Names:

Fibroadenoma; Breast mass; Abnormal breast mass
Symptoms:

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A potentially malignant (cancerous) breast lumpmayinclude some of these features:

A painless lump that is firmor hard, with irregular borders (edges)
Spontaneous nipple discharge -- usually bloody or straw-colored fluid
Nipple changes -- retraction (pulling inward), enlargement, or itching
Breast is no longer symmetrical, comparedwith what it previously looked like
Skin changes
- dimpling, retraction, "orange peel" appearance
- redness, accentuated veins on breast surface, and eventually skin ulceration
Bone pain
Weight loss
Armpit lump
Swelling of the arm

Benign fibrocystic changes may range from mild to severe during the menstrual cycle. Symptoms typically peak just before eachperiod and improve immediately after theperiod. The breast tissue has a dense, "cobblestone" consistency, usually moreobvious along the outer edges of the breast. An intermittent (on and off)or persistent sense of breast "fullness" with dull, heavy pain and tenderness is experienced.

Signs and tests:

Your health care provider will perform a breast exam by feeling the breasts for lumps. Benignfibrocystic changes in both breasts are common. Benign lumps are usually rounded with smooth borders, either rubbery or slightly movable, and not anchored. Nipple discharge occurs only after the nipple is manipulated, is milky looking, and may be expressed from both breasts.

For a potentiallycancerous breast lump, there may be spontaneous nipple discharge on one side from a single duct. Lymph nodes in the armpit may be enlarged or tender.

The following tests may be performed:

A mammogram mayhelpyour doctor examinethe features of the breast mass.
Needle aspiration is a test that draws fluid from the breast lump. The fluid may suggest that the lump is a benign cyst. Ifthe lumpis a cyst, the lump is less likely to remain after the aspiration test.
An ultrasound may be performed to see whether the lump is solidor cystic. Cancer is more commonly a solid mass.

A biopsy can confirm or rule out suspected cancer in solid lumps:

Needle biopsy -- removal of cells for evaluation directly from the mass (can be done in conjunction with needle aspiration procedure)
Incisional biopsy -- surgical removal of a portion of the mass for evaluation
Excisional biopsy -- surgical removal of entire mass for evaluation