Breast Lumps

Overview

Breast lumps are common, especially from ages 30 to 50. A number of conditions can result in a lump or lumps in your breast. Most of these conditions are harmless or of minor concern.

Generalized breast lumpiness usually feels like lots of little bumps (nodularity) or as though some areas of the breast are thicker or denser than other areas. Your breasts also may feel tender. The lumps may occur in both breasts around the nipple and in the upper, outer part of the breasts, especially before your menstrual period. The lumps may come and go and change size in just a few days.

Generalized lumpiness is common and normal. Breast lumpiness usually goes away after menopause but may be found in those who are taking hormone therapy after menopause.

Following are other types of breast lumps and their symptoms.

Cysts and abscess lumps

• Cysts are fluid-filled sacs in the breast. They feel smooth or rubbery and move about under the fingers. They can be quite painful or tender, or they may be painless. Cysts are caused by the hormones that control the menstrual cycle. Cysts are rare in those older than 50 and are not related to breast cancer. If you have a cyst, your doctor may drain (aspirate) it to help relieve the pain and confirm the diagnosis.
• Abscesses are pockets of infection within the breast. They may be quite painful, and the skin over the breast may be reddish or feel hot or thick. You may feel feverish or ill. Abscesses are treated with antibiotics and surgery to drain the abscess. They are most common during breastfeeding.

Fatty lumps

• Fat necrosis is a condition in which the normal fat cells of the breast go through a change and become round lumps. The lumps may or may not be painful and may be firm. The skin over the lump may be reddish or look bruised. Fat necrosis may occur after a bruise or other injury to the chest or breast and can occur from weeks to years after an injury. Fat necrosis usually goes away without treatment but can form permanent scar tissue that may show up as an abnormality on a mammogram.
• Lipomas are noncancerous lumps of fatty tissue. They can be small or large. There may be just one or several lipomas at once.

Growths

• Adenomas are noncancerous abnormal growths of the glandular tissue in the breast. The most common growths are called fibroadenomas. They usually feel round and firm and have smooth borders. They may move a little under the fingers, be tender, and change with the menstrual cycle. Adenomas are not related to breast cancer.
• Intraductal papillomas are growths in the ducts of the breast. They usually feel like lumps just under the nipple and can cause a bloody discharge from the nipple. It is more common to have several growths in both breasts if you are younger and just one growth if you are close to menopause.
• 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. Breast cancer is rarely painful and can occur anywhere in the breast or nipple.

Blood clots

Blood clots in a vein (thrombophlebitis) can feel like a lump. The phlebitis usually affects the large vein that crosses the chest to the underarm area (axilla). Symptoms include lumpiness along the course of the vein, pain, warmth, redness, or a color change in the area. Blood clots in the breast or on the chest wall are rare.