It can become frightening for a woman to find a mass in her breast. However, Monica Morrow of Northwestern University Medical School reports that the majority of breast lumps or masses are not cancer. There are many causes and types of masses found in the breast; if a woman has concerns about a suspicious mass she should consult her health care provider immediately. While most lumps prove benign, early detection of breast cancer proves crucial to a good prognosis.
Breast Cysts
Breast cysts are fluid filled sacs n the breast tissue. They have a round or oval shape and have defined edges and can feel firm or soft. The tissue around the cyst may feel tender to the touch and the cyst may increase in size just before a woman's period with a decrease after her cycle. Women who have breast cysts do not have an increased risk of breast cancer associated with breast cysts.
Breast cysts prove most common in premenopausal women, but can occur in postmenopausal women and those receiving treatment with hormone therapy, says the American Family Physicians website.
Fibroadenomas
As with breast cysts, fibroadenomas prove more common in women who are premenopausal. Fibroadenomas are benign or non-cancerous lumps that feel firm and smooth and may feel rubbery or even hard. They have well defined edges and move easily under the skin if manipulated. Fibroadenomas are painless and women may have one or many.
Physicians consider most fibroadenomas as simple, meaning they have distinct borders and uniform looking cells. These simple fibroadenomas do not increase the risk of breast cancer and are not cancerous. Complex fibroadenomas do not consist of uniform cells, instead a complex fibroadenoma consists of cysts, enlarged breast lobules and calcifications. MayoClinic.com reports an increased breast cancer risk factor of 2 to 3 upon diagnosis of complex fibroadenomas. Fibroadenomas rarely prove cancerous, so a woman's overall increased risk of breast cancer remains minimal.
Fibrocystic Breast Changes
Rare in postmenopausal women, fibrocystic breast disease--now called fibrocystic breasts or fibrocystic breast changes--occurs commonly in most women and is not a cause for concern, says MayoClinic.com. Fibrocystic breast changes typically feel painful or tender and occur in both breasts. The breast tissue may feel lumpy or bumpy; called nodular or glandular by a health care provider. Fibrocystic breast changes produce different size lumps that may wax and wane during her menstrual cycle.
Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed in women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC. While a breast lump or mass proves a symptom of breast cancer, women may also experience bloody discharge from their nipple, a change in the size or shape of the breast, changes to the skin of the breast and around the nipple--flaking, peeling, and dimpling, inversion of their nipple or a dimpling or pitting of the skin on the breast.
If a woman finds a lump in her breast, she should consult her health care provider immediately. Early detection of breast cancer proves essential to a good prognosis. Getting yearly mammograms, exercising daily, maintaining a healthy weight, performing self-breast examinations and limiting alcohol consumption can help women reduce their risk of breast cancer.
