"Lumps in the breast aren't always cancer," says Dr. Santamaria. "About 10% to 20% of lumps are cancer. The rest are benign."
Sometimes breast lumps develop that are benign (noncancerous). Only 3% to 6% of breast lumps are due to breast cancer.
There's no way to tell for sure whether a breast lump is benign without some sort of testing; however, about 80 percent of breast lumps are non-cancerous, and there are some characteristics of benign breast lumps that help doctors make a diagnosis.
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).
About half of cancerous breast lumps appear in the upper, outer quadrant of the breast, extending into the armpit. About 18 percent of breast cancer tumors show up in the nipple area. Around 11 percent are found in the lower quadrant, and 6 percent are located in the lower, inner quadrant.
A cancerous lump is usually hard, not soft or squishy. And it often has angular, irregular, asymmetrical edges, as opposed to being smooth, Dr. Comander says. In order for you to feel a cancerous lump, it probably has to be rather large and closer to the surface of the skin.
A lump that is not cancer often looks smooth and round and has clear, defined edges. Lumps that look like this are often cysts and are not cancer. However, if the lump on the mammogram has a jagged outline, an irregular shape, or other unusual features, it is of more concern and more tests may be needed.
Ultrasound may be used to determine whether a new breast lump is a solid mass or a fluid-filled cyst. Removing a sample of breast cells for testing (biopsy). A biopsy is the only definitive way to make a diagnosis of breast cancer.
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.
Most fibroadenomas are 1–2 cm in size, but they can grow as large as 5 cm. Simple fibroadenomas are the most common type of fibroadenoma. They are made up of one type of tissue. Simple fibroadenomas don't increase the risk for breast cancer.
Benign breast lumps in women are common. Up to half of all women will experience fibrocystic changes that cause noncancerous breast lumps at some point in their lives. Fluctuating hormone levels often cause these breast tissue changes.
Lumps that feel harder or different from the rest of the breast (or the other breast) or that feel like a change are a concern and should be checked. This type of lump may be a sign of breast cancer or a benign breast condition (such as a cyst or fibroadenoma).
On average, breast cancers double in size every 180 days, or about every 6 months. Still, the rate of growth for any specific cancer will depend on many factors.
Breast cancer has to divide 30 times before it can be felt. Up to the 28th cell division, neither you nor your doctor can detect it by hand. With most breast cancers, each division takes one to two months, so by the time you can feel a cancerous lump, the cancer has been in your body for two to five years.
Tumors are often described by their size. The size of a breast tumor is an important factor in staging breast cancer. Doctors use a specific classification, known as the TNM (tumor, node, metastasis) system, to stage breast cancer. The T stands for tumor size, reported in millimeters or centimeters.
While even the most advanced imaging technology doesn't allow radiologists to identify cancer with certainty, it does give them some strong clues about what deserves a closer look.
If an abnormality is seen on mammography or felt by physical exam, ultrasound is the best way to find out if the abnormality is solid (such as a benign fibroadenoma or cancer) or fluid-filled (such as a benign cyst). It cannot determine whether a solid lump is cancerous, nor can it detect calcifications.
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. If you do need a biopsy, your doctor should discuss which type of biopsy is needed and why.
What Are Breast Cysts? Cancerous breast lumps and breast cysts have some characteristic tactile differences, but they may feel similar enough the only way to really tell one from the other is a diagnostic test like a mammogram or ultrasound.
What happens next? If you are called back after a mammogram, or if you or your doctor found a lump in your breast during manual exam, your doctor will order a diagnostic mammogram. This is the same type of imaging as a screening mammogram, except more pictures may be taken.
A breast lump that's painless, hard, irregularly shaped and different from surrounding breast tissue might be breast cancer. Skin covering the lump may look red, dimpled or pitted like the skin of an orange. Your breast size and shape may change, or you may notice discharge from the nipple.
Do breast cancer lumps ever hurt? Most breast cancers don't cause any pain, even if they first appear as a lump or a bump. But pain can still bring a lump to your attention, when an object hits the side of your breast just so, or you accidentally brush it past something that compresses it.
ANSWER: Breast cancer is not always accompanied by a lump. Many women diagnosed with breast cancer never have any signs or symptoms, and their cancer is found on a screening test, such as a mammogram. Among women who experience warning signs, a lump in the breast or underarm area is the most common red flag.
Do breast cancer lumps move? Most lumps will be movable within the breast tissue on examination, but breast lumps typically do not “move” around the breast. However, sometimes a breast lump will be fixed, or stuck, to the chest wall.