What are breast lumps?
Breast lumps are any bumps, knots, bulges or specific areas of swelling in your breast tissue. Lumps may feel different than other areas of the breast and can have a variety of textures—soft, hard, rope-like, round or irregular. Many different breast conditions cause them.
While a breast lump can be a sign of breast cancer, rest assured that most nodes aren’t harmful and may not require any treatment at all. If you feel a lump in your breast, our team is here to help guide your next steps.
Breast lump symptoms
The symptoms you may experience with a breast lump differ based on what’s causing the swelling. You may have other symptoms along with a breast lump, like pain or tenderness. Or there could be no other symptoms at all.
By paying attention to your breast symptoms, including breast lumps, you can take steps to protect your breast health.
Sometimes, breast lumps are a part of natural changes or texture in the breast tissue. These breast lumps may be normal for you and accompany your menstrual cycle. However, any new, persistent breast lump should be checked by your doctor, especially if you are having other symptoms.
When to see a doctor for a breast lump
Schedule a visit with your doctor if you notice:
- A lump in your breast or your underarm area
- Any lump that’s getting larger, worsening or one that doesn’t resolve with your monthly cycle
- Changes to your nipple, such as discharge or a nipple that inverts
- Changes to the skin on your breast, like redness, texture changes, bruising or dimpling
- Breast pain
- Changes in the size or shape of one of your breasts
Causes of breast lumps
Breast lumps are caused by several breast conditions—from cyclical breast changes to cysts to harmless growths. Understanding the source of your breast lump is important because it’s the first step to helping you get the care you need. If you’ve noticed a lump in your breast, your doctor may want to do an exam or other tests to help figure out what’s causing it. While a breast lump is one of the most commonly known breast cancer signs, usually, cancer isn’t the cause when you feel lumps in the breast. Of those breast lumps sent for a biopsy, about 80% come back as benign or not cancer. Here are some of the other, more common reasons for breast lumps.
Fibroadenomas
Fibrocystic changes
Cysts
Intraductal papillomas
Injuries and infections
Breast cancer
Breast lumps in males
Because males have a small amount of breast tissue, they may also develop breast lumps from various conditions. One of the most common causes of breast lumps in males is gynecomastia. This enlargement of the breast tissue can feel like a lump under the nipple. Usually, gynecomastia is linked to natural changes, medications or conditions that affect the hormones in your body.
While rare, another condition that causes breast lumps in males is male breast cancer. Some people are more at risk for male breast cancer due to factors like family history. Because a lump could be a sign of cancer, it’s important to get any breast lumps checked by your doctor.
Diagnosing breast lumps
To help diagnose the cause of your breast lump, your care team will listen to your symptoms, review your health history, ask about your family history and perform a clinical breast exam. During a breast exam, your provider will examine the breast tissue, the area under your arms and lymph nodes in your neck.
For some people with a lump, a breast exam is all that is needed to diagnose a breast condition—such as fibrocystic changes or infection. However, your doctor may order additional tests to help get more information about your breast health or to provide a look at the lump in more detail.
Mammogram
Ultrasound
Breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Needle aspiration
Biopsy
Breast lump treatment
There is a wide range of treatment options for a lump in the breast—from at-home care to medications to surgical procedures. Treatments are targeted to your specific breast health needs. Some harmless breast conditions that don’t cause pain or other symptoms don’t need any care. Once your care team knows the cause of your breast lump, they’ll work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan to get the right care for you.
If you’re diagnosed with breast cancer, our team is here for you every step of the way through diagnosis, breast cancer treatment and survivorship. The sooner breast cancer is detected, the more treatment options you have. That’s why getting checked is so important if you notice a breast lump.
Some breast lump treatment options include:
- At-home care to reduce discomfort due to fibrocystic changes
- Prescription medications for a breast infection
- Fine-needle aspiration to drain fluid from cysts
- Lumpectomy to remove a cancerous growth or surgical excision of a non-cancerous growth
- Chemotherapy or radiation for breast cancer
- Mastectomy for breast cancer, which removes the entire breast
Our breast imaging centers near you
We offer several locations for your care, including women’s imaging centers in North and Central Texas that specialize in tests to help diagnose the cause of a breast lump.
Baylor University Medical Center
3900 Junius Street, Suite 200 , Dallas, TX, 75246
Baylor Scott & White Women's Imaging Center - Irving
2001 N Macarthur Blvd, Mob 1, Suite 250 , Irving, TX, 75061
Breast Center At Baylor Scott & White - Grapevine
1631 Lancaster Dr , Grapevine, TX, 76051
Baylor Scott & White Elizabeth Jekot Md Breast Imaging Center - Richardson
3301 E Renner Road, Suite 100 , Richardson, TX, 75082
Baylor Scott & White Women's Imaging Center - Las Colinas (Macarthur & I-635)
440 W Lyndon B Johnson Fwy , Irving, TX, 75063
Baylor University Medical Center
9101 N Central Expy, Suite 200 , Dallas, TX, 75231
Baylor Scott & White Imaging Center - Wylie
2300 Fm 544, Suite 110 , Wylie, TX, 75098
Baylor Scott & White Women's Imaging Center - Plano
4716 Alliance Blvd , Plano, TX, 75093
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Lake Pointe
6800 Scenic Dr , Rowlett, TX, 75088
Baylor Scott & White Imaging Center - Rockwall
1005 W Ralph Hall Parkway, Suite 121 , Rockwall, TX, 75032
Baylor Scott & White Imaging Center - Forney
763 E Us Hwy 80, Suite 120 , Forney, TX, 75126Hours of Operation
Hours of Operation
Office Hours
Frequently asked questions
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Are breast lumps painful?
Sometimes. Breast lumps can be painful, but not always. Breast lumps caused by conditions like a cyst or infection are often painful or tender. Other lumps, like those caused by breast cancer or a harmless growth, may not cause any pain at all.
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Are breast lumps normal?
It depends. Some types of breast lumps are normal. More than half of people with breasts have normal fibrocystic changes that make the breasts feel lumpy. However, if you have a new lump that persists or other symptoms, that’s not normal. Visit your doctor to get checked.
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Are breast lumps hard?
Not every breast lump is hard, but some can be. Depending on the cause, your breast lump can feel movable and soft instead of hard. While breast lumps caused by breast cancer tend to be firm, many other conditions can also cause lumps that feel hard.
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What does a breast lump feel like?
Breast lumps feel different depending on what’s causing the swelling. Lumps that aren’t caused by cancer may feel smooth and can be tender when you touch them or move around when pressed. A lump caused by breast cancer often feels hard and may not cause pain.
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What kind of doctor should I see for a breast lump?
Start with a visit to your OBGYN or primary care provider when you have a breast lump. Your doctor can examine the node and decide your next steps. You may see other doctors, such as a breast surgeon, if you need additional care.