What kind of lumps are breast cancer

Having an idea of the usual size, shape, appearance, and feel of the breasts can help a person be aware of any changes. How can Medicare help with screening for breast cancer?

Benign lumps may be painful and cause breast changes, but they are not usually life threatening. Some lumps may need treatment or surgery. Learn more about the different types of breast lump here. Experts do not know exactly why breast cancer develops, but the following risk factors may contribute:. The ACS predicts that there will be around 2, diagnoses of male breast cancer in The rate is around times lower in white males than white females and 70 times lower in Black males compared with Black females.

Some symptoms include :. Males often receive a diagnosis at a later stage. This may be because they are less aware of the risks and less likely to seek and undergo screening. A person should contact a doctor if they experience any symptoms that may indicate breast cancer. Most lumps are not cancerous, but a doctor can help rule this out.

Screening can help detect changes before a lump becomes noticeable. At this stage, breast cancer is easier to treat. Current guidelines from the American College of Physicians recommend that females speak with a doctor about breast cancer screening from the age of 40 years. They also recommend that females at average risk of breast cancer have a mammogram every 2 years from 50—74 years of age.

People with a higher risk, such as those with a family history of breast cancer, may need more regular screening. It is worth noting that different authorities, such as the ACS , have different guidelines. A doctor can help recommend a suitable option. At this stage, breast cancer is deadly, and chances of cure are far lower one-half or less than in the early, localized stage. Commonly developing from the mammary glands or ducts, such malignant lumps generally about 50 percent appear in the upper, outer quadrant of the breast, extending into the armpit, where tissue is thicker than elsewhere.

Eighteen percent of breast cancers occur in the nipple area, 11 percent in the lower out quadrant, and 6 percent in the lower inner quadrant. ANY change in size, shape, texture or nipple that occurs in one breast only is more dangerous than if such changes happen simultaneously in both breasts in the same position.

Report such a change at once. Early breast cancer is confined to the breast only. Advanced breast cancer is a tumor that has spread from the breast to involve lymph nodes in the armpit, neck or chest; once these are affected, the five year survival rate drops to 73 percent or less. An estimated 46, women and men died of breast cancer in , in spite of treatment including surgical removal of the cancerous breast, lymph nodes, and in extreme cases ovaries.

Many of these deaths could be averted if more women would examine their own breasts and consult their doctors promptly in case of suspicious findings. In disseminated breast cancer , the advanced tumor has grown to affect not only the adjacent lymph nodes but also, through metastasis, such other parts of the body as the bones, liver, lungs, and even the brain.

It can usually be moved around beneath the skin during a breast self-exam. Fibroadenomas are often located near the surface of the breast. Some may be too small to feel and may be detected incidentally on a mammogram.

A biopsy is needed to diagnose a fibroadenoma, and your healthcare provider may recommend removal. Lumpectomy , radiofrequency ablation, and a number of other fibroadenoma treatments can be used to remove the benign tumor.

Adenosis is a benign condition characterized by enlargement in the lobules of the breast a breast lobule is a gland that makes milk. Adenosis can produce a lump that feels like a cyst or a tumor. It can be accompanied by the appearance of calcifications on a mammogram.

Mastitis, an infection of the breast, is often accompanied by redness, swelling, and pain. Mammary duct ectasia is a benign condition in which the milk ducts become clogged and swollen, often causing a grayish discharge.

It may cause a small lump just under your nipple, or may cause the nipple to be retracted inward. When the breasts are damaged by surgery or trauma, scar tissue may develop. Fat necrosis , which feels like a hard lump, may occur. Fat necrosis may cause breast discharge and tethering of the nipple and skin. Fat necrosis can mimic cancer on imaging tests, and a biopsy is needed to tell the difference. Breast oil cysts are fluid-filled sacs that may feel smooth and squishy.

They are usually found on a self-breast exam and may be seen on mammogram, ultrasound, or breast MRI. Caused by the breakdown of fatty tissue, they often occur after breast surgery. They are called oil cysts because they contain a liquid form of body fat.

While breast oil cysts do not become cancerous and do not increase the risk of developing breast cancer, they may occur in association with underlying cancer. They can be left alone or aspirated to remove the cyst. Other benign lumps include breast hematomas , hemangiomas, adenomyoeptheliomas, and neurofibromas. Keep in mind that if you have a benign lump, your risk of breast cancer—a condition that affects one in eight women—is not decreased. While you may breathe a sigh of relief upon diagnosis of a benign breast tumor, you still need to continue your regular mammograms, medical appointments, and breast self-exams.

Several breast lumps are not cancer, but are strongly associated with an increased risk of cancer. Others are pre-cancerous growths, and the cells can transform, becoming cancer cells in the future. While most benign breast lumps are either left alone or removed for comfort, pre-cancerous lumps must be removed. While these tumors are typically benign, they may be associated with an increased risk of cancer, particularly if there are regions of atypical hyperplasia typically seen on a biopsy.

Radial scars are an uncommon condition which can be benign, precancerous, or cancerous. A biopsy is usually needed, especially because cancer cells may be mixed with the radial scar. Atypical lobular hyperplasia and atypical ductal hyperplasia are considered precancerous conditions. Ductal carcinoma in situ DCIS is a cancerous tumor.

By definition, they are not considered invasive since they have not yet broken through the basement membrane, a layer of encapsulation that separates the cancer cells from surrounding tissue. Lobular carcinoma in situ LCIS is not precancerous, but it is associated with increased cancer risk. Phyllodes breast tumors are uncommon and can be either benign or malignant. Most breast cancers begin in epithelial cells and form carcinomas. In contrast, phyllodes tumors begin in mesenchymal cells connective tissue cells and the tumors are defined as sarcomas.

Breast cancer is a malignancy composed of abnormal breast tissue cells. The cancer can grow in an uncontrolled way and may spread within the breast, to the lymph nodes, or to organs in distant areas of the body. Breast cancer can occur anywhere in the breast, but the most common location is the upper, outer section of the breast. It can be located near the surface or deeper inside the breast, close to the chest wall. When women do self-exams, they should lie down, so gravity can flatten and spread out the breast tissue over the chest muscles.

Self-exams done lying down let gravity help to spread the tissue out. You may feel a lump even when imaging was normal. Consider getting a second opinion or following up with your provider if you feel a rigid bump. While lying flat, stretch your arm up over your head. Use middle portion of your fingers, brought together. When you squish the tissue between your fingers and chest wall, you are more likely to pass over normal bumps, yet still feel unusual bumps.