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 A breast lump is a growth of tissue that develops within your
breast. A breast lump is often interchangeably described as a mass,
swelling, thickness or fullness. Most women have some type of lumpiness
in their breasts. Some areas may be more dense than others and
can feel lumpy in an exam. What you are feeling may be glandular
breast tissue.
A breast lump can feel distinct and have definite borders, or
it could feel more like a general area of thickened tissue in your
breast. You may notice other breast changes accompanying a breast
lump, such as skin redness, distension, dimpling or pitting; breast
asymmetry; breast pain; nipple inversion; or unusual nipple discharge.
Sometimes, a breast lump is a sign of breast cancer. That's why
your doctor should promptly evaluate any breast lump you find.
Fortunately, most breast lumps result from noncancerous (benign)
conditions.
The most common causes of a single breast lump are:
- fibroadenoma -- a benign solid tumor
- fibrocystic changes -- benign breast changes
- atypical hyperplasia -- fast-growing abnormal cells
- cysts -- benign, fluid-filled sacs
- non-invasive cancers -- ductal carcinoma in situ or DCIS
Breast lumps, like other symptoms, have to be considered along
with other symptoms a woman may be having. For example, a new,
tender lump that comes up at the same time as skin redness and
a fever may be a sign of a breast infection. Still, any new lump
or other change should be checked by a doctor or nurse, because
at least one type of breast cancer (inflammatory breast cancer)
can look a lot like an infection.
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