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Suspicious breast lumps

A breast lump is a growth of tissue that forms in the breast. Most breast lumps are not irregular or cancerous. But it’s key to have your healthcare professional check them promptly.

Breast tissue typically might feel lumpy or ropy. You also may have breast tenderness that comes and goes with your menstrual period.

If you have a health problem that affects your breasts, you might notice changes in how your breasts usually feel. These changes can include:

When to see a doctor

Make an appointment to have a breast lump checked, especially if:

Breast lumps can be caused by:

See your healthcare professional to learn what kinds of tests you might need and which type of breast lump you have.

Risk factors for breast lumps caused by conditions that are not cancer include the following:

Some risk factors for breast cancer are within your control to change. These include:

Other risk factors for cancerous breast lumps can’t be controlled. These include:

Some conditions that cause breast lumps may lead to other health concerns, also called complications. The complications depend on the type of breast lump that you have. For example, without treatment, some breast infections can cause pockets of pus to form in the breast.

Other breast conditions that are not cancer still can raise the risk of breast cancer later on. These include conditions that can cause lumps, such as atypical ductal hyperplasia, atypical lobular hyperplasia and lobular carcinoma in situ. If you have a breast condition that raises the risk of cancer, it doesn’t mean that you’ll definitely get breast cancer. Ask your healthcare professional what the risk means for you and whether you can make lifestyle changes to lower it.

Some breast lumps don’t cause complications. For example, small cysts and simple fibroadenomas sometimes go away on their own over time.

There’s no clear way to prevent many breast lumps. Breast lumps that are not cancer often are linked with natural changes in the body, such as hormonal changes over time.

But some risk factors for cancerous breast lumps are within your power to change. Take the following steps to lower your chances of breast cancer:

Diagnosis of a breast lump involves getting an exam and possibly tests to find out the cause of the lump. During the physical exam, your healthcare professional checks your breasts, chest wall, underarms and neck. You’re checked while you’re sitting upright and again while lying on your back.

You’ll likely need one or more imaging tests to check for changes in the breasts. These include:

If these tests show that your lump is not cancer, you might need follow-up appointments. That way, your healthcare professional can check to see if the lump grows, changes or goes away.

If imaging tests don’t help diagnose the lump, your healthcare professional might take a sample of cells for lab testing. This is called a biopsy. There are various types of biopsies. Your healthcare professional recommends the one that is right for you. Breast biopsies include:

Whichever type of biopsy you have, your healthcare professional sends the tissue samples to a lab to be checked by a pathologist. That’s a doctor who studies diseases and the changes they cause in body tissues.

Treatment for a breast lump depends on its cause. Your healthcare professional helps you choose the treatment that’s right for you. Causes of breast lumps and their treatment options include:

© 1998-2024 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved.

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