The discovery of an unknown bump or lump often causes panic. Usually for nothing, but how do you know if you are dealing with a dangerous tumor or a harmless bump?
What are you feeling?
Lumps in a breast can feel very different. Some nodules feel round and smooth and snap away with a touch. Others are irregular and cannot slide. In most cases, a lump in the breast does not hurt.
What could it be?
• Irregularities around menstruation: Many women suffer from swollen breasts just before menstruation and sometimes feel lumps and bumps; this is related to hormonal changes.
• Cyst: Cysts are fluid-filled blisters that can arise, for example, when an outlet duct of a mammary gland becomes blocked. Cysts can usually slide easily under the skin, they are quite 'loose'.
• Fibroadenoma (connective tissue nodule): Overgrowth in the connective tissue of the breast can cause a lump that feels small, solid and rubbery. If the nodule compresses surrounding tissue or presses on a muscle or nerve, the nodule may need to be surgically removed.
• Mastopathy: In mastopathy, several benign abnormalities of the mammary gland tissue can occur simultaneously in both breasts. This is often accompanied by painful breasts.
• Lipoma (lump of fat): Lipomas often feel soft, are easy to move and arise from the fatty tissue of the breast.
• Breast cancer
When do you go to the doctor?
Only medical examination can determine with certainty whether a lump is benign or malignant. You should therefore always see a doctor with a lump in the breast.
