Is it normal to feel a lump in your breast?

Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that develops in the mammary epithelial cell tissue. In the past two years, its incidence has been increasing and the age of onset has been trending younger. One of the early symptoms of breast cancer is a lump in the breast, which causes many people to panic when they feel a lump in their breast. So, is it normal to feel lumps in the breast? Breast tissue is a lump, which is a relatively large disk-like lump in the breast and can normally be grasped or pinched. Therefore, sometimes the lumps you touch in your breasts are just normal breast protrusions. If you feel lumps by pushing instead of pinching, you need to pay attention.

How to carry out breast self-examination

When doing breast self-examination, hold your palm flat, close your four fingers, and use the most sensitive ring finger, middle thumb, and the tip of the right ring finger to touch the upper outside, lower outside, lower inside, and upper front areas of the breast in order, and finally the nipple and nipple area in the center of the breast. Do not pinch the breast tissue with your fingers during the examination, otherwise you will mistake the pinched breast tissue for a lump. The most serious disease at the breast level is breast cancer. Compared with ordinary lumps, it has irregular shape, unclear boundaries, hard color, faster growth speed, and is not easy to be stimulated. And, along with that comes shifts, indentations, changes in tone, and more on the skin.

5 situations when a breast lump is normal

1. High-density breast

Breasts can be divided into three types: dense breast type, fat type, and intermediate combination type. The mammary gland occupies most of the breast and is a high-density breast type. Human body fat occupies most of the breast and is fat-type. The gland duct and human fat are close to the middle of the first two types, which is the intermediate complex type. They are all normal types, but this usually requires a mammogram to identify and cannot be detected by self-diagnosis. High-density breast is a common type in young women. High-density breast simply means that there are more glandular duct components. Moreover, as we age, breast tissue will gradually be replaced by fat tissue. Especially in the middle and late stages of menopause, the breasts of most women will become fat.

2. Breast fibroadenoma

A young woman may feel a smooth, movable lump on her chest, or it may be a breast fibroadenoma. Breast fibroadenoma is the most common malignant breast tumor, mostly occurring in young women between 18 and 25 years old, and is mostly solitary. The lumps caused by breast fibroadenoma are mostly round or oval, with slow growth, clear boundaries, and are easily expanded. There is no adhesion between the lumps and the skin.

3. Breast lipoma

If you feel a movable lump on the surface of the breast with clear boundaries and basically no pain, it may be a breast lipoma. It is common in obese middle-aged women with slow growth and rarely worsens.

4. Lobular hyperplasia of the breast

Before menstruation, breast pain and the feeling of a hard lump with unclear boundaries may be due to lobular hyperplasia of the breast. The lumps caused by lobular hyperplasia of the breast are mostly granular lumps, as small as sesame seeds, which may cluster together but have no obvious boundaries and are not adhered to the skin and superficial tissues. There are also no special manifestations such as lumps or hypoechoic nodules on breast B-ultrasound. Generally speaking, lobular hyperplasia of the breast does not require special treatment. Try to maintain a good attitude and adjust your diet. According to statistics, insisting on exclusive breastfeeding after pregnancy can alleviate breast lobular hyperplasia.

5. Cystic hyperplasia of the breast

Regular breast pain, multiple, mass-like lumps that can be felt, and sometimes nipple discharge may be signs of cystic breast hyperplasia. Simple cystic hyperplasia rarely worsens, but if it is accompanied by intestinal metaplasia of epithelial cells, the possibility of worsening is very high. It is an early stage of cancer and should be reviewed every three months.

6. Papilloma in the milk duct

The lumps of papilloma in the milk duct are mostly around the nipple. They are the size of a cherry and soft in color. They can be pushed and gently squeezed to reveal red or dark red stubborn fluid discharge from the nipple. Ductal papilloma is considered benign, but may worsen in 6% to 8% of cases.

7. All normal conditions that occur during special periods

It is normal to have breast pain before menstruation and feel small lumps, which disappear after menstruation. Breast pain occurs 1 to 2 weeks before each menstruation and disappears with the end of the menstrual period. It is normal. If the swelling and pain are severe and accompanied by symptoms such as headache, fatigue, anxiety, insomnia, constipation, etc., it may be premenstrual syndrome. You can consult a gynecologist for relief. Therefore, although breast cancer is scary, not all lumps indicate breast cancer. There is no need to be alarmed. As long as you perform more scientific and standardized breast self-examinations and regular physical examinations, breast lumps are not that scary.