If the lump is confirmed to be benign, no further action may be needed, but your doctor may want to monitor it to see if it changes, grows or disappears over time. If the tests are inconclusive, a biopsy using ultrasound, x-ray or magnetic resonance imaging guidance may be performed.
A biopsy is only recommended if there's a suspicious finding on a mammogram, ultrasound or MRI, or a concerning clinical finding. If a scan is normal and there are no worrisome symptoms, there's no need for a biopsy.
BENIGN. Although any lump formed by body cells may be referred to technically as a tumor. Not all tumors are malignant (cancerous). Most breast lumps – 80% of those biopsied – are benign (non-cancerous).
Breast abnormalities can also be found through self-examination or when symptoms arise. Suspicious mammographic findings may require a biopsy for diagnosis. More than 1 million women have breast biopsies each year in the United States. About 20 percent of these biopsies yield a diagnosis of breast cancer.
You'll often need additional imaging tests, such as ultrasound and mammography, and perhaps even a biopsy, to make sure the condition is truly benign. Many benign breast conditions are linked to inflammation, pain, and infection.
A breast lump that's painless, hard, unusual in shape and different from the breast tissue around it might be breast cancer. The skin covering the lump may thicken, change color or look red. It also may look flaky, dimpled or pitted like the skin of an orange. Your breast size and shape may change.
Fibroadenomas are made up of connective and gland tissues. They are common in young women between 20 and 30 years of age. One or several fibroadenomas can occur, and they can develop in one or both breasts. Most fibroadenomas are 1–2 cm in size, but they can grow as large as 5 cm.
Is a breast biopsy painful? Local or general anesthesia is typically used during breast biopsies for the patient's comfort. Some women may experience discomfort during the procedure, but it's not typically painful. Patients may experience some pain or tenderness for a few days after the procedure.
Because of this course of action, breast biopsy results typically take 2-3 days to reach the patient but may take up to a week or longer depending on the complexity of the case and the tissue sample.
Over one million people have breast biopsies each year in the United States. Approximately 20% of the biopsies reveal a breast cancer diagnosis.
You should notify your healthcare provider about any breast lumps or changes. Most noncancerous lumps go away without treatment.
Approximately 90% of palpable breast masses (masses that can be felt) are benign and are not cancer. The most common cause of a breast mass is fibrocystic or normal tissue. The next most common causes are cysts and fibroadenomas. Self-breast exam is the most common manner in which a breast mass is identified.
Characteristics of malignant lesions
Malignant lesions are commonly hypoechoic lesions with ill-defined borders. Typically, a malignant lesion presents as a hypoechoic nodular lesion, which is 'taller than broader' and has spiculated margins, posterior acoustic shadowing and microcalcifications[13] [Figure 8A–F].
A minimally invasive image-guided needle biopsy is a highly accurate alternative to a surgical breast biopsy. Our expert imaging technologists and radiologists use ultrasound, mammography, or Magnetic Resonance Imaging to guide the biopsy needle to the precise location for tissue extraction on an outpatient basis.
The decision to biopsy small masses should be based on carefully assessed MR features, and in the context of exam indication, not solely on size.
Though 90% of lumps are benign, it's vital to get them checked. Breast lumps develop when the tissue grows abnormally and they can often fill with fluid, turning into cysts.
If you have a biopsy resulting in a cancer diagnosis, the pathology report will help you and your doctor talk about the next steps. You will likely be referred to a breast cancer specialist, and you may need more scans, lab tests, or surgery.
If you had a biopsy you may need to wait 4 to 8 weeks to get your results.
Biopsies may be done under local or general anesthesia. For local anesthesia, medicine is injected to numb your breast. You will be awake, but feel no pain. For general anesthesia, you will be given medicine to put you into a deep sleep during the biopsy.
It's completely normal to feel nervous or anxious about this procedure. But knowing more about biopsies, how they work, and why they are ordered may help ease your concerns just a little bit.
If you're like some people, the prospect of a breast biopsy may make you feel slightly unnerved, or even scared. For most patients, however, the anticipation of a breast biopsy can be more intimidating than the procedure itself.
The recovery time for a breast biopsy depends on whether it was surgical or non-invasive. Biopsies involving an incision and stitches have longer recovery times, typically around two weeks. The recovery time for a non-invasive biopsy is around 24 hours.
T1 (includes T1a, T1b, and T1c): Tumor is 2 cm (3/4 of an inch) or less across. T2: Tumor is more than 2 cm but not more than 5 cm (2 inches) across. T3: Tumor is more than 5 cm across.
T1: Tumor is smaller than 2 cm across. T2: Tumor is 2 to 5 cm across. T3: Tumor is larger than 5 cm across. T4: Any size tumor is growing into chest walls or skin.
Of all breast lumps, 60 to 80% are benign. The most common concern, however, is still that a given lump may be the first evidence of breast cancer. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in while women over 40 years of age and will occur in 1 out of every 11 women.