A breast lump is a bulge, swelling or lump in the breast which may feel different from the tissue around the lump. You may find some breast cancer-related symptoms like lumpiness or tenderness, changes in the menstrual cycle. Breast lumps develop due to several reasons. Generally, they are not cancerous and risky. Breast cancer is the common cause of cancer-related deaths in women. Cancer treatment in Bangalore reduces the death rates by early detection, improved treatments and better screening.

Breast Cancer Treatment

Causes of breast lumps

The two main types of tissue in the female breast are milk ducts and milk glands. Every part of breast reacts in different ways to the changes in body chemistry and may affect breast lump development. Some causes are harmless while others may be dangerous or painful. Given below are a few causes of breast lumps:

● Cysts

● Breast cancer

● Infection

● Lipoma

● Fat necrosis

● Injuries

● Non-cancerous growth

Breast cancer is commonly found in women but mostly breast lumps are not cancerous. In fact, 80% of breast cancers are not harmful. Lumps are mostly irregular in shape, they sometimes feel solid or firm, and maybe fixed to a tissue in a breast. Lumps in the breast can often be painless. However, there are a few women in whom a painful breast lump turns out to be cancer.

When to consult a doctor?

You will be able to detect a change in the breast if you know well how your breast normally feels. Visit a doctor if you notice:

● A change in the shape, size and appearance of the breast.

● Skin changes on your breast like scaling, itchiness, puckering and redness.

● Spontaneous nipple discharge

● Newly inverted nipple

The doctor evaluates the breast lump by doing a clinical breast exam.

Procedures for evaluating a breast lump:

Doctors recommend the following imaging tests to evaluate a breast lump:

● Breast ultrasound: The images of the inside of the breast created by the soundwaves are displayed on the monitor. This will help to determine if the breast lump is filled or solid with fluid.

● Diagnostic mammogram: Women with a breast lump are required to have a mammogram of both the breasts. The doctor will be able to investigate suspicious breast changes with this X-ray.

● MRI: MRI is used to evaluate breast lumps because it is sensitive to the abnormalities in the breast tissue. With the images obtained from MRI, doctors will be able to determine if the particular area is cancerous. MRI’s are generally performed if the results of ultrasound and mammogram are not certain.

The chances of a breast lump to be cancerous depend on the factors like the women’s results of the imaging tests, past medical history, genetic and physical examination.

Treatment of breast lump

Generally, treatment is needed depending on the cause of the lump. A biopsy is taken when cancer is suspected. Breast cancer treatment in Bangalore involves radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Though breast lumps are not cancerous, it is recommended to get it checked by a medical professional regularly.

You will be required to go for short term monitoring with imaging tests or clinical tests exam regularly if the breast lump is not cancerous. The doctor would ask you to visit in two-three months to determine the changes in the breast.

Breast cancer is widely known and one of the most talked-about forms of cancers. Still, there are a lot of myths about cancer. The most common myth among people is that they will not experience breast cancer if they do not have a family history of breast cancer. The fact is that most of the breast cancer patients have no known family history. Only 10% of breast cancers are hereditary.