Do breast nodules require surgery?

The cause of breast lumps is still unknown and is related to a variety of genetic and environmental factors. At present, the possible causes of breast lumps include endocrine hormones, genetic mutations and environmental influences. So do breast nodules require surgery? Let’s discuss the relevant details below, hoping it will be helpful to everyone.

Do breast nodules require surgery?

The indications for surgical treatment of breast nodules are: 1. If the lump is larger than 1 cm, conservative treatment can be used first if it is smaller than 1 cm, and regular follow-up should be conducted to see if the breast lump has expanded; 2. If the BI-RADS grade is 4 or above, regardless of the size of the lump, surgical removal is required, and pathological examination should be performed to diagnose whether it is a benign or malignant tumor. If the grade is 2-3 and the mass is less than 1 cm, conservative treatment can be used, with regular follow-up visits and surgical treatment if there is any change. Therefore, not all breast nodules need to be removed surgically. The assessment should be based on the size and grade of the lump.

What are the examinations for breast nodules?

1. Breast palpation

2. Mammography

Annular or irregular masses can be seen on the breast mammography. Benign nodules generally have clear boundaries and regular shapes, while malignant masses generally have unclear boundaries and irregular shapes, with rough edges or lobes. Sometimes an "edema band" can be seen outside the mass, which is good for displaying clustered thickening within the disease.

3. Color Doppler ultrasound examination

It can clearly display small diseases in breast tissue and can more comprehensively judge and accurately locate lumps. It can often detect superficial masses that doctors cannot palpate; the outer membrane echo can be detected, mostly showing low and medium echo; the echo of normal tumors is uniform, while the echo of malignant tumors is generally uneven, and blood distribution can be shown.

4. Pathological histological examination

The mass can be histologically confirmed by core needle biopsy or excision biopsy to clarify the characteristics of the mass. For inaccessible diseases, the operation can be performed under the correct guidance and precise positioning of molybdenum-palladium or B-ultrasound.