Benign and malignant breast lumps diagnosis and treatment

Signs, Symptoms and Treatments of Breast Cancer Lumps

 

The breast health greatly depends on your awareness about how the breasts typically feel or look. Mammography help to detect breast cancer making it an important part of routine screening. It means that it’s important for you all to stay aware of how your breasts typically feel and appear so you can notice any changes.

Most typical sign of breast cancer is of course a new tumour or lump. Breast tumours can be soft, spherical, tender, and even painful, and if they are painless, firm mass with irregular borders it’s definitely a warning sign of cancer. 

Several factors can contribute to breast lump development. Inflammation, trauma, fibroadenoma, cluster, fat necrosis, and fibrocystic breasts are some of the major causes. It is common in both men and women but women are more likely to do develop them. 

Signs and Stages

According on the lump’s underlying aetiology, the breast cancer signs vary in different people and age groups. Below are given a few the most common cancer symptoms:

 

Uncancerous masses

Breast lumps are found in different sizes, sensation, and consistency. The consistency of a lump helps to determine whether its a cancerous or non-cancerous lump. Lump might cause because of the following:

  • Lipoma
  • Necrosis of fat
  • Intraductal tumours
  • Fibroadenoma
  • Abscesses
  • Breast malignancies

 

Cancer lumps

Breast and underarm tissue may develop a lump or tumour from breast cancer. The warning signs include an itchy skin, dimpling, and cracked skin on breast area or close to the nipple following with a lump, stiffness, discomfort or swelling in the breast or nipple area. It might also include a constant pain & change in breast size.

However there is frequently no pain or nipple tilting, or drawing inward towards the nipple secretion. Medical data also shows that many people diagnosed with cancer have no symptoms. Therefore, it is advised to get a regular mammogram done for timely detection since early detection can increase the survival rate by 99%. 

 

Treatment

All breast lumps must be checked by a doctor, although not all require treatment right away. So, your doctor might advise keeping an eye on a fibrous mass or cyst while deferring taking any further action. Treatment for cancer typically consists of a composite of:

  • Surgery
  • Radiation treatment
  • Chemotherapy
  • Hormonal medication therapy

Additionally, a doctor might advise getting your BRCA1 and BRCA2 chromosomes checked for alterations. Protective surgery may also help in preventing a recurrence if a genetic mutation is present. If that’s the case, it is advised to get other family members screened for breast cancer as well. 

Surgeons frequently combine different treatments to treat breast cancer. The best treatment of course depends on your condition and following factors:

  • If a cancerous tumour possesses particular proteins, including the HER2 protein and hormone synapses, or specific gene alterations.
  • The likelihood that a particular treatment will successfully eradicate your cancer 
  • Further any medical issues you may have
  • Your thoughts regarding the medication and its adverse effects

Now that you have learned the basic signs & symptoms of breast cancers, keep a close watch & do self breast checkups regularly. If you notice anything unusual report to your doctor immediately