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Lumps: Breast

Breast lumps can be caused by:

• fibrocystic breast tissue

• infection in the breast

• growth of new tissue (harmless or cancerous tumors) or

• changes in the ducts and milk-producing glands

The breast self-exam is a useful tool to check for unusual lumps, skin changes, or discharge. For most women, these once-a-month exams are easy to remember if they are timed with menstrual cycles. The best time for the exam is about one week after the start of a period.

To check your breasts, begin by looking in a mirror for pulls, dents, odd coloring, or lumps. The best positions for inspecting are leaning forward with your hands on your hips tightly and standing upright with your arms over your head. Both breasts should look the same, especially around the nipple.

Next, examine your breasts by feeling. The shower is a good place for this part of the exam, because the water allows your hand to glide over the skin.

Follow these steps:

• Feel for an area that may feel different from your normal breast. This may be a ball or lump, or a thickened band, or a deep, hard area that will not move like the rest of your breast.

• Use the palm surface of your fingers, not the tips, to move the breast under your fingers.

• Check the breast in two or three positions (such as standing up, leaning forward, or lying down).

• Divide your exam into parts. Examine from the outside of the breast into the nipple, and then from the inside to the outer edge. Realize that part of the breast goes into the armpit, so the exam needs to include that area.

• Check the nipple. There is less breast tissue right under the nipple, so any lump there is a concern. A gentle exam of your nipple is usually enough to show you if there is a discharge. (Checking for a discharge from the nipple may be problematic because regular, hard squeezing of the nipple alone can cause a discharge.)

Doing a monthly breast self-exam is the best way to learn how the normal breast feels. The purpose of a monthly self-exam is to detect early changes to breast tissue. Early detection of a breast tissue problem could save your life.

Brochures that show you how to do a breast self-exam are available from your local chapter of the American Cancer Society or from your healthcare provider.

Consult the UI Health Care Cancer Information Service for more information about this topic.

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