Is a lump on the breast that doesn't hurt or itch cancer?

Ms. Wang, 54, accidentally discovered a lump in her breast, but it was neither painful nor itchy. She thought it might be breast hyperplasia, but did not take it seriously. As time went by, the lump grew larger and larger, and eventually adhered to the skin. She was eventually diagnosed with advanced breast cancer. Therefore, when female friends find lumps in their breasts, they must go to the hospital for examination in time and must not be careless.

Breast cancer lumps are not necessarily painful, so you should be more careful about tumors if you have lumps that are painless or itchy. In addition, although breast hyperplasia also causes lumps, the time when the lumps appear is different. It usually occurs a week before menstruation and is accompanied by some pain, which disappears after menstruation. If the lump still exists half a month before menstruation or 3 days after menstruation, it is best to go to the hospital for treatment as soon as possible.

Breast cancer is often detected through self-examination

It is understood that among breast cancer patients, 60%-70% of them come to the hospital for treatment because they "feel a lump in their breast". Small lumps larger than 1 cm can be felt by yourself. But "self-masturbation" also requires skills. Some women report feeling a lump, but their doctor can't feel it. This is most likely because the timing of the self-test is incorrect. Generally speaking, one week before menstruation, the estrogen level in a woman's body will rise rapidly, stimulating breast hyperplasia. At this time, the breasts will become hard and have lumps. These are physiological phenomena and belong to physiological hyperplasia. They will return to normal after the menstruation ends. Therefore, it is best not to do self-examination a week before menstruation. It is best to do it 3-4 days after menstruation ends, once a month.

You can do "self-masturbation" while taking a bath. When you cover your body with shower gel, your body is relaxed and your skin is smooth, making it easiest to spot problems. When touching, do not grab with your hands. Instead, spread your palms flat, press your fingertips lightly on the breasts, and rotate counterclockwise.

4 questions to distinguish benign or malignant lumps

1. Is it hard? If the lump you feel is not too hard, it is most likely benign.

2. Is it smooth? The lump feels like an egg or quail egg, is very smooth, and is mostly benign.

3. Does the lump move when you touch it? If pressed, the lump can move 2-3 centimeters to the left and right and up and down. Most of them are benign. If the tumor is fixed and cannot be moved, it is more likely to be malignant.

4. Round, square or irregular? If the lump you feel is round or oval, it is mostly benign; if it is square or irregular, it is likely to be malignant.