Merck Manual

Please confirm that you are not located inside the Russian Federation

Yes No

Leave this Site?

The link you have selected will take you to a third-party website. We do not control or have responsibility for the content of any third-party site.

Continue Cancel
Brought to you by
Merck Manual
Consumer Version
The trusted provider of medical information since 1899
Health Topics & Chapters
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
Merck Manual
Consumer Version
The trusted provider of medical information since 1899
Health Topics & Chapters
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
Home /
Quick Facts: Women's Health Issues /
Breast Disorders /
... /
Breast Lumps /
IN THIS TOPIC

What are breast lumps?

What causes breast lumps?

When should I go to the doctor for a breast lump?

What will happen at my doctor visit?

How do doctors treat breast lumps?

OTHER TOPICS IN THIS CHAPTER

Breast Disorders
Breast Cancer
Breast Infection and Breast Abscess
Breast Lumps
Fibrocystic Changes of the Breast
Nipple Discharge

Test your knowledge

Actinomycosis
Actinomycosis is a chronic infection caused mainly by the bacteria Actinomyces israelii. These are anaerobic bacteria, meaning they can thrive without oxygen. Actinomyces israelii are normally found on tooth enamel, gums, tonsils, and membranes lining the intestines and vagina. Under which of the following conditions does an actinomycosis infection typically develop?

More Content

Loading
Quick Facts

Breast Lumps

By

The Manual's Editorial Staff

Last full review/revision Oct 2019| Content last modified Oct 2019
Click here for the Professional Version
Get the full details
NOTE: This is the Consumer Version. DOCTORS: Click here for the Professional Version
Click here for the Professional Version
Topic Resources

What are breast lumps?

Breast lumps are bumps, growths, or hard areas that feel different from the rest of your breast. You might notice a breast lump by chance or during a breast exam.

  • Breast lumps are common

  • Most lumps aren’t cancer

  • Breast lumps may be painful or painless

  • Lumps may feel smooth, round, and movable or lumpy and thick

What causes breast lumps?

Cancer isn't the most common cause of breast lumps.

The most common causes of breast lumps are:

  • Fibroadenomas, which are small, smooth, movable, painless round lumps that usually happen in women who are at an age to have children

  • Fibrocystic changes, which are general lumpiness and pain in your breasts caused by monthly changes in female hormones such as estrogen and progesterone

Less common causes of breast lumps are:

  • Breast infection

  • A clogged milk gland after you stop breastfeeding

  • Breast cancer

When should I go to the doctor for a breast lump?

Go to a doctor within 1 to 2 days if you have a breast lump and:

  • Redness, swelling, and pain

  • Pus leaking out

Go to a doctor within 7 days if you have a breast lump and:

  • The lump won’t move around (it feels stuck to your skin or chest)

  • The lump feels very hard and uneven

  • Swollen lymph nodes in your armpit that won’t move

  • Dimpling of your skin near the lump that looks like the skin of an orange

What will happen at my doctor visit?

Doctors will ask you questions about your symptoms and health. They’ll do an exam, including a breast exam to feel the lump.

To tell if your breast lump is cancer, doctors often do more tests, such as:

  • Ultrasound (a test that uses sound waves to create a moving picture of the inside of your breast)

  • Mammogram (x-ray of your breast)

Depending on your symptoms and the results of these tests, your doctor may:

  • Put a needle in the lump and take out fluid or a sample of tissue

  • Make a cut in the skin to take out part of the lump and look at it under a microscope (biopsy)

How do doctors treat breast lumps?

If your breast lumps are fibrocystic changes, doctors may:

  • Drain your cyst with a needle

  • Tell you to wear a soft, supportive bra, such as a sports bra

  • Tell you to take acetaminophen or ibuprofen to lessen pain

If your breast lumps are fibroadenomas, doctors may:

  • Do surgery to remove them

  • Leave them alone but schedule check-ups to look for any changes

If your breast lumps are breast cancer, doctors may do surgery to remove your tumor and give other types of cancer treatment, such as radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and medicine.

Drugs Mentioned In This Article

Generic Name Select Brand Names
acetaminophen
 TYLENOL
progesterone
 CRINONE
ibuprofen
 ADVIL, MOTRIN IB
NOTE: This is the Consumer Version. DOCTORS: Click here for the Professional Version
Click here for the Professional Version
© 2020 Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA)
Breast Infection and Breast Abscess
Fibrocystic Changes of the Breast
Others also read

Also of Interest

Videos

View All
The Fallopian Tubes, Ovaries, and Fertilization
Video
The Fallopian Tubes, Ovaries, and Fertilization
The Breasts
Video
The Breasts

SOCIAL MEDIA

Merck and the Merck Manuals

Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA is a global healthcare leader working to help the world be well. From developing new therapies that treat and prevent disease to helping people in need, we are committed to improving health and well-being around the world. The Merck Manual was first published in 1899 as a service to the community. The legacy of this great resource continues as the Merck Manual in the US and Canada and the MSD Manual in the remainder of the world. Learn more about our commitment to Global Medical Knowledge.

TRUSTe
TRUSTe

This website is certified by Health On the Net Foundation. Click to verify. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information:
verify here.

© 2020 Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
TOP