I have a lump between the chest wall and breast and i was wondering if i will lose my breast cancerous or benign????

Answered by: Maria/MDHealthForum.com Team

It’s normal to be worried about lumps, but worrying is not healthy if it makes you panic and you get too scared to visit a doctor. Clinical breast examination is necessary to evaluate breast lumps. During physical examination, some lumps may appear clearly benign or malignant but further diagnostic procedures would be required.

The most common types of benign breast lumps are cysts and fibroadenomas. Your doctor can distinguish the kind of lump depending on how the lump feels on breast exam. Cysts are fluid-filled lumps. If a cyst is located close to the surface of the breast, it would feel like a balloon. However, when a cyst is embedded deep in the breast tissue, it feels firm. A cyst may change its size during a monthly period. In addition to clinical breast examination, ultrasound and fine needle aspiration help doctors in diagnosing cysts. Fine needle aspiration is done by inserting a very thin needle into the lump and withdrawing fluid from it. A cyst will disappear after aspiration. Presence of blood in the aspirated fluid may require laboratory testing. If the breast lump fails to disappear, it indicates that the lump is solid. Sample of cells will be extracted from the mass and will be sent to the laboratory for analysis.

Fibroadenomas are round, firm and movable lumps, they are made of glandular and fibrous tissues. They often develop in young women but can also occur at any age. The presence of fibroadenomas can easily be detected because they are near the surface of the breasts. After clinical breast exam, diagnostic procedures such as ultrasound, mammography and biopsy may be requested. Treatment will generally depend factors like patient’s age, family history and size of the lump. In very young women, for example, surgical intervention is not usually done.

Fat necrosis and sclerosing adenosis are conditions that may present as lumps. Fat necrosis is benign and can affect women of any age. This type of lump is painless, firm and round. It may form when an area of the fatty breast tissue is damaged. Aside from clinical breast examination, imaging techniques and needle biopsies are needed to arrive at a definite diagnosis. In some cases, the lump is monitored in several menstrual cycles and imaging procedures are done, the decision for surgical management will depend on the result of diagnostic tests. Sclerosing adenosis is a breast condition characterized by the growth of extra tissue in the breast lobules. It appears as a small firm lump and often causes pain. It may be difficult to distinguish sclerosing adenosis from breast cancer, minor surgical procedure may be performed to remove the lump. The tissue will be sent to the laboratory for testing to confirm diagnosis.

Cancerous breast mass usually present as a single firm lump, irregular in shape and has a coarse surface. It may not be movable during a breast self examination. Breast cancer mass can be located close to the chest wall, near the surface of the breast or deeper inside the breast tissue. It can also form in the armpit area. Other symptoms such as nipple discharge and changes in the breast’s skin texture may also be observed; the skin has pitted appearance and resembles an orange peel. A clinical breast exam and mammography will help to clear up the diagnosis, in addition to these procedures the lump is also analyzed through biopsy. If breast cancer has already been diagnosed, the management will depend on the size and extent of the cancer.

You seem to be really worried about possible surgical procedures that will involve removing the breast tissue. But the fact is, most breast lumps are benign. It would be very helpful if you will avoid jumping into any conclusion. For now, consulting a physician is the best move to make.

Advertisement:

Tags: breast, cyst, fibroadenoma, lump

Discuss this topic on the Health Forum

   More answers in Cancer, Women's Health