Breast cysts: Fluid-filled sacs form when fluid becomes trapped in the milk ducts. Cysts are common in premenopausal women. Fibroadenomas: This benign (noncancerous) lump is the most common breast tumor in young women (20s and 30s). Fibroadenomas are most common during a person's reproductive years.
There are different reasons why breast lumps develop. Causes include infection, trauma, fibroadenoma, cyst, fat necrosis, or fibrocystic breasts. Breast lumps may develop in both males and females but are more common in females. Some lumps are cancerous, but most are not.
The lumps are milk ducts and tissues around them that have grown and widened to form cysts. These enlarge quickly in response to hormones released near your period. The lumps may be hard or rubbery and could feel like a single (large or small) lump. Fibrocystic changes can also cause breast tissue to thicken.
"All breast lumps need to be evaluated by a physician, regardless of your age or where in your breast you feel the lump," says Dr. Joshi. "More often than not, breast lumps are harmless.
Lumps in a woman are most often either fibroadenomas or cysts, or just normal variations in breast tissue known as fibrocystic changes. Fibrocystic changes are painful, lumpy breasts. This is a benign condition that does not increase your risk for breast cancer.
Fortunately, most lumps aren't cancerous. Your healthcare provider can order the appropriate tests to determine what's causing benign breast disease. Most people don't need treatment — lumps go away on their own.
Signs of Cancerous Breast Tumors
Most cancerous breast tumors first appear as single, hard lumps or thickening under the skin. Other signs to watch for include a change in nipple appearance, nipple secretions, nipple tenderness, and a dimpling or puckering of the skin.
Breast cancer usually feels like a hard or firm lump (nodule). It usually is irregular in shape (it does not have smooth edges) and may feel like it is attached (fixed) to skin or tissue deep inside the breast so that it cannot be moved without moving breast tissue.
Shape and size of a breast lump
A tumor may feel more like a rock than a grape. 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.
Bumps that are cancerous are typically large, hard, painless to the touch and appear spontaneously. The mass will grow in size steadily over the weeks and months. Cancerous lumps that can be felt from the outside of your body can appear in the breast, testicle, or neck, but also in the arms and legs.
Normal breast tissue can sometimes feel lumpy, but at times, you may feel a firm bump, nodule or firm or hard feeling in your breast that seems a little different. Breast lumps often have an irregular shape and can be around the size of a pea, or larger.
If you're well and you get a sore lump in your breast, it could be a blocked milk duct. Try gentle warm massage, frequent feeds with the affected breast, and cold packs after feeds. See your GP as soon as possible if your breasts are inflamed and sore or have a lump, or you start to feel unwell.
On a mammogram, they can sometimes be seen as a smooth, round mass in the breast tissue. On ultrasound, they are usually smooth, round and black. Sometimes cysts do not have these typical features and they are difficult to distinguish from solid (non-fluid) lesions just by looking.
Causes of breast lumps include: Changes in the breast tissue (fibrocystic changes): Tiny, fluid-filled sacs and fibrous (rubbery) tissue feel like lumps. Breast cysts: Fluid-filled sacs form when fluid becomes trapped in the milk ducts. Cysts are common in premenopausal women.
The two most common causes of breast lumps are fibrocystic breast condition and cysts. Fibrocystic condition causes noncancerous changes in the breast that can make them lumpy, tender, and sore. Cysts are small fluid-filled sacs that can develop in the breast.
Breast cyst
Breast cysts are fluid-filled sacs inside the breast. They are usually noncancerous (benign). You may have one or multiple breast cysts. A breast cyst often feels like a grape or a water-filled balloon, but sometimes a breast cyst feels firm.
Where are breast cysts usually located? Cysts are fluid-filled lumps or bumps that can appear anywhere under the skin, including within the breast. In breast cysts, fluid fills the lobules. Breast cysts are typically located in the upper outer quadrant or the central margins (in the middle, close to the nipple).
A lump or mass in the breast is the most common symptom of breast cancer. Lumps are often hard and painless, although some are painful.
Breast tissue can be lumpy or dense, and that's normal. It's a good idea to do monthly breast exams to get to know your breast tissue and what is normal for you. If you feel a lump that you've never felt or noticed before, or a lump that worries you, call your doctor.
The way that lump feels can provide plenty of information. Breast cancer tumors are rigid with firm, angular edges. They feel more like rocks than grapes. “A tumor won't be smooth like a cyst.
Although some breast cancers may first announce their presence by nipple secretions, changes in the nipple's appearance, nipple tenderness or dimpling or puckering of the skin, most malignant tumors appear first as SINGLE, HARD LUMPS OR THICKENINGS that are frequently, but not always, painless.
A doctor may use an ultrasound to examine a cyst or tumor located deep within the body. Ultrasound imaging can often show whether a lump is hollow, fluid-filled, or a collection of cells. In some cases, a doctor may request a biopsy, which involves removing the lump or cells from it.
Often, an abnormal area turns up on a screening mammogram (X-ray of the breast), which leads to additional testing. In other cases, the first sign of breast cancer is a new lump or mass in the breast that you or your doctor can feel. A lump that is painless, hard, and has uneven edges is more likely to be cancer.
Some are not found until a physical or imaging exam. Most breast lumps are benign (non-cancerous). Your doctor will likely perform a physical exam to evaluate a breast lump. To determine whether that lump is benign, your doctor will likely order a mammogram and breast ultrasound.
There are four common types of breast lumps: fibroadenoma, a breast cyst, other benign fibrocystic masses and breast cancer. A number of things can cause non-cancerous breast lumps, and most are related to your menstrual cycle. Your hormones are fluctuating, and fluid build-up can occur.