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Breast lump
Category: Women's Health · All women's health symptoms
What it can feel like
A breast lump is any new lump, thickening or area of firmness in the breast that feels different from the rest of the breast and from the other side. Most breast lumps are benign — cysts and fibroadenomas lead the list — but a new lump always earns examination, because breast cancer also presents this way and early treatment changes outcomes.
Possible causes
A symptom can have many causes, and most are not serious. The lists below group conditions this symptom can be associated with — common causes first. They are possibilities to discuss with a clinician, not a diagnosis.
Common causes
Breast lumps can be associated with cysts (fluid-filled, often fluctuating with the cycle), fibroadenomas (smooth, mobile, commoner in younger women), hormonal lumpiness, fat necrosis after a knock, and breast abscesses when hot and painful (especially when breastfeeding).
Other possible causes
A breast lump can be a cancer — more likely when it is hard, irregular, fixed, painless, growing, or joined by skin dimpling, nipple change or an armpit lump. The absence of pain does not reassure either way; cancers are commonly painless.
Red flags — when to seek help promptly
- Any new breast lump — book an examination promptly
- A lump with skin dimpling, puckering, or orange-peel skin change
- A lump with nipple inversion that is new, or blood-stained nipple discharge
- A lump in the armpit, or above the collarbone
- A red, hot, painful breast that is not settling (possible abscess or inflammatory cancer)
What a clinician may do
Assessment follows a triple pattern: clinical examination, imaging (mammography and/or ultrasound depending on age), and needle sampling of any lump that is not confidently benign on imaging. Breast clinics usually combine all three in one visit.
Watch: related videos
Examination and clinical videos from the MedicalVideos.com library relevant to this symptom. Some clinical footage is graphic — that is the nature of a medical video library.
Related guides on MedicalVideos.com
Frequently asked questions
It appeared suddenly and it's tender — can cancer do that?
Cancer usually grows slowly and painlessly, while sudden tender lumps are usually cysts, inflammation or fat necrosis. 'Usually' is doing heavy lifting in that sentence, however — every new lump gets examined, because exceptions exist in both directions.
What happens at a breast clinic appointment?
Typically examination, then imaging — mammogram (breast X-ray) and/or ultrasound — then, if the lump is not clearly a simple cyst, a needle sample: fine-needle aspiration or a core biopsy taken with local anaesthetic. Results usually follow within days to a couple of weeks.
Related symptoms — Women's Health
Browse the B section of the A–Z list or return to the Symptoms A–Z hub.