Breast lumps are swellings or areas of thicker tissue in your breasts. You might feel a lump in your breasts when you're checking them. Or a routine breast screening mammogram might discover a lump you hadn’t noticed.
Most breast lumps are benign (non-cancerous). But it’s important to see your Doctor if you find a lump in your breast or notice any unusual breast symptoms.
The size and shape of breasts vary, and everyone’s breasts are different. They’re mostly made up of fatty tissue and glandular tissue. The glandular tissue produces milk when you’re breastfeeding. Tiny milk ducts (tubes) carry milk from the glandular tissue to the nipple. A 'tail' of breast tissue goes up into your armpit.
In women, breasts are affected by hormones. They change size and shape throughout your monthly cycle and when you’re pregnant. This means breasts can feel tender, heavy, and lumpy. This usually happens just before your period and goes back to normal once it starts. It’s normal for many women to feel lumpy areas in their breasts which come and go as their hormones change. But, if a lump appears and doesn’t go, see your Doctor for advice.
Men can get breast lumps too. See our FAQ on breast lumps in men for more information.
There are many different types of benign breast lump. Most are either fibroadenomas or cysts.
Benign breast lumps can appear anywhere in your breast. They may or may not be painful, and can be large or small. Sometimes a lump can develop alongside other symptoms too.
See your Doctor if you develop any of the following symptoms.
Although most breast lumps are found to be benign (non-cancerous), these symptoms can sometimes be a sign of breast cancer. So, it’s important to get any unusual symptoms you notice checked by a doctor.
Your Doctor will ask you about your symptoms and examine you. They may also ask you about your family history and whether a close relative has had breast cancer.
Your Doctor may ask you to come back for another appointment at a different time in your menstrual cycle if they think the changes may be related to your hormones. This is because lumps can come and go at certain times in your cycle.
If you have a breast lump, you’ll usually need to have further tests to check whether your lump is caused by cancer or something else. Your Doctor will refer you to a doctor at a hospital or specialist breast clinic to have these tests. What tests you need will depend on what symptoms you have and your age. You may be asked to have a:
The treatment for benign breast lumps depends on what the lumps are. Many lumps won't need treatment unless you’re having symptoms or the lump is particularly big.
Talk to your doctor for advice about which treatment is most suitable for you.
Benign (non-cancerous) lumps in your breast can develop for several different reasons.
If you're pregnant, your breasts will change while your baby is developing, to get ready for breastfeeding. Your breasts may get bigger and feel sore and tender. Sometimes, benign breast lumps can develop or get bigger during pregnancy. Or a lump that was already there may become hidden as your breasts get bigger.
The most common breast lumps during pregnancy are:
Breast cancer is rare during pregnancy. But if a breast lump is cancer, it can grow very quickly. So, if you do notice a breast lump when you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, it’s important to get it checked by a doctor as soon as you can.
Yes, men can develop benign (non-cancerous) lumps in their breast tissue as part of a condition called gynaecomastia. This is where the breast tissue starts to grow because of an imbalance between the hormones oestrogen and testosterone. Gynaecomastia is very common in newborns, during puberty or when you become elderly. Other causes of this hormone imbalance include obesity and certain medicines. And it can be linked to a wide range of medical conditions.
If you have gynaecomastia, lumpy breast tissue can be felt underneath your nipple and the breast sometimes gets bigger. Lumps can develop in one or both breasts and can sometimes be tender and sore.
Gynaecomastia may go away on its own and is benign (non-cancerous), so doesn’t usually need treatment. If it’s painful, or causing you great embarrassment, your doctor may recommend medicines or sometimes even surgery.
If you notice a change in the look or feel of your breast, contact your Doctor. Almost all breast lumps in men are benign; however, it’s possible for men to get breast cancer.
Your breasts do change as you get older. When you reach the menopause, the amount of glandular tissue in your breasts reduces because of hormone changes. The amount of fatty tissue increases. This can make your breasts feel different, and some women find they’re softer and less firm. As you come up to the menopause, you may find your breasts feel tender and lumpy, but this often changes once you’re past the menopause.
Some women develop a condition called duct ectasia around the time of the menopause. This is when a duct underneath your nipple becomes swollen and blocked. See our section on types of benign breast lumps above for more information. Duct ectasia is non-cancerous and can be treated with an operation to remove the blocked ducts. However, the symptoms of duct ectasia are similar to breast cancer, so it’s important to see your Doctor if you notice any unusual changes to your breasts.
Calcium lumps (breast calcifications) are small spots of calcium salts. They’re very common and develop as you get older. You probably won’t be able to feel them – they’re usually found when women have a mammogram.
Calcium lumps are usually benign and harmless. However, some patterns of calcium lumps can be an early sign of breast cancer. If you have calcium lumps, your doctor may ask you to have more tests.
breastcancernow.org
breastcanceruk.org
www.gov.uk
The information and/or article is solely the contribution of Bupa, (hereinafter referred to as “Bupa UK”) a United Kingdom (UK) based healthcare services expert and is based on their experiences and medical practices prevalent in UK. All the efforts to ensure accuracy and relevance of the content is undertaken by Bupa UK. The content of the article should not be construed as a statement of law or used for any legal purpsoe or otherwise. Niva Bupa Health Insurance Company Limited (formerly known as Max Bupa Health Insurance Company Limited) (hereinafter referred to as “the Company”) hereby expressly disown and repudiated any claims (including but not limited to any third party claims or liability, of any nature, whatsoever) in relation to the accuracy, completeness, usefulness and real-time of any information and contents available in this article, and against any intended purposes (of any kind whatsoever) by use thereof, by the user/s (whether used by user/s directly or indirectly). Users are advised to obtain appropriate professional advice and/or medical opinion, before acting on the information provided, from time to time, in the article(s).
Please click on Agree button to be Redirected to BANCA Site.
Else click on close icon.