Breast Lump
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Try one of these related symptoms.
Lump in the breast
Lump in the nipple
About the Symptom
A breast lump is a mass that develops in the breast. Any new breast lump should be evaluated by a physician as soon as possible. A breast lump can feel like a rock in the breast or a sponge in the breast or anything in between. It can feel smooth or lumpy or grainy and be movable or not movable. Most breast lumps will turn out to be benign (not cancer). The decision to biopsy the lump is dependent on many factors, but usually some sort of X-ray or Ultrasound will be used to evaluate the lump.
When to See a Doctor
Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms
- Erythema
- Headache
- Fever
- Recent weight loss
- Swelling of the affected area
Possible Causes
Generally, Breast lump can be related to:
- Mastopathy
A condition where a painful lump forms in the breast due to imbalances in female hormone levels, causing symptoms to occur before and during menstruation.
- Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is a malignancy that arises in the breasts of men or women. It can arise from ducts or lobules. Patients either find a lump or have an abnormal mammogram. Risk factors include being female, having breasts, have a genetic predisposition (eg a gene you inherit from a parent), family history of breast or ovarian cancer, getting older, personal history of breast biopsies, dense breasts on mammography, or ovarian cancer, alcohol, and obesity. Protective factors include pregnancy, especially at a younger age, weight maintenance especially after menopause, and exercise.
- Gynecomastia
A condition in which abnormal hormone levels cause males to develop female characteristics, such as breast enlargement. Common causes include medications and brain tumors.
- Mastitis
- Mondor's Disease
- Epidermoid Cyst
- Traumatic Fat Necrosis
- Skin Metastasis of Malignant Tumor
- Testicular Tumor
- Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
Doctor's Diagnostic Questions
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:
- Have you noticed any lumps in your breasts?
- When did you first notice the breast lumps?
- How are your breast lumps now?
- How often do you experience breast lumps?
Reviewed By:
Alice Police, MD (Breast Surgery)
Breast Surgeon of 30 years experience. Recent Chief of breast surgery at UCIrvine Medical Center, Northwell Health in New York State, Chief of breast surgery at Monument Health in Rapid City South Dakota. Breast Cancer Researcher in conjunction with multiple studies through Notre Dame department of electrical engineering. CMO of Nearwave, a start up breast cancer device company.
Yoshinori Abe, MD (Internal Medicine)
Dr. Abe graduated from The University of Tokyo School of Medicine in 2015. He completed his residency at the Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Longevity Medical Center. He co-founded Ubie, Inc. in May 2017, where he currently serves as CEO & product owner at Ubie. Since December 2019, he has been a member of the Special Committee for Activation of Research in Emergency AI of the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine. | | Dr. Abe has been elected in the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Healthcare & Science category.
Content updated on Feb 6, 2025
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
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Try Free Symptom QuizHow Ubie Can Help You
With a free 3-min Breast Lump quiz, powered by Ubie's AI and doctors, find possible causes of your symptoms.
This questionnaire is customized to your situation and symptoms, including the following personal information:
Biological Sex - helps us provide relevant suggestions for male vs. female conditions.
Age - adjusts our guidance based on any age-related health factors.
History - considers past illnesses, surgeries, family history, and lifestyle choices.
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People with similar symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes
- There is a bump on the breast
- Hard object in the breast
- A lump in my breast
- Bump in the nipple
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FAQs
Q.
Breast Pain or Lumps? Why Your Tissue is Changing and Medically Approved Next Steps
A.
Most breast pain and many lumps are benign, often from hormonal shifts or benign conditions like cysts or fibroadenomas, but red flags such as a new hard lump that does not move, skin dimpling, nipple changes, or bloody discharge need prompt attention; there are several factors to consider, so see below to understand more. Medically approved next steps include tracking symptoms across a cycle, trying supportive measures if appropriate, scheduling a clinical exam and any recommended imaging, and seeking urgent care for rapid swelling, fever with redness, sudden skin changes, severe localized pain, or discharge; screening usually starts at 40 to 50 and earlier if you are higher risk, and complete details that could change your next steps are outlined below.
References:
* Davies EL, Gateley I. Mastalgia: Aetiology, Diagnosis and Management. BMJ. 2018 Jul 25;362:k3228. doi: 10.1136/bmj.k3228. PMID: 30043817.
* Ghafoor S, Ghafoor S, Tariq S, et al. Benign Breast Disease: Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Management. Cureus. 2019 Jan 2;11(1):e3831. doi: 10.7759/cureus.3831. PMID: 30678250.
* Houssami N, Marra G. Fibrocystic Change of the Breast. StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. PMID: 32310557.
* Faridi MS, Khan N, Khan S, et al. Breast Lump: A Comprehensive Review. Cureus. 2020 Oct 14;12(10):e10941. doi: 10.7759/cureus.10941. PMID: 33139368.
* Slanetz PJ. Evaluation of the Symptomatic Breast: A Clinician's Guide. Radiol Clin North Am. 2019 Jul;57(4):713-722. doi: 10.1016/j.rcl.2019.03.003. PMID: 31349887.
Q.
Huge Breasts? Why Your Chest Is Heavy & Medically Approved Next Steps
A.
Large breasts feel heavy because there is more tissue stressing your back, shoulders, posture, and skin; extra heaviness can also come from hormonal shifts, weight gain, macromastia, rapid growth, swelling or infection, or a lump. Medically approved next steps include a professional bra fitting, posture and back strengthening, managing skin irritation, tracking hormonal patterns, and seeing a clinician when symptoms persist or limit life, with breast reduction sometimes indicated; urgent signs include a new hard lump, skin dimpling, new nipple inversion, bloody discharge, fever with redness, or rapid swelling. There are several factors to consider; see below for complete guidance that can affect which next steps you choose.
References:
* Momeni, A., Momeni, S., & Ghavidel, H. F. (2017). The impact of breast hypertrophy on body image, self-esteem and sexual satisfaction and its improvement after reduction mammoplasty. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 41(6), 1335–1341.
* Thoma, A., Thoma, A., & Farrokhyar, F. (2018). Patient satisfaction and psychosocial outcomes following reduction mammoplasty: a systematic review. Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery, 71(12), 1675–1686.
* Khavanin, N., Momeni, S., & Momeni, A. (2019). Macromastia: A review of classification, etiologies, and treatments. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 143(1), 166e–173e.
* Katz, R., & Kotsis, S. V. (2019). Indications for Reduction Mammoplasty, Preoperative Considerations, and Operative Planning. Clinics in Plastic Surgery, 46(3), 303–311.
* Al-Mufarji, R., Al-Zadjali, A., Al-Musafir, A., & Alkhatib, D. (2022). Long-Term Outcomes and Complications of Reduction Mammoplasty: A Systematic Review. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery - Global Open, 10(11), e4608.
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Link to full study:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312810v1References
Perry MC. Breast Lump. In: Walker HK, Hall WD, Hurst JW, editors. Clinical Methods: The History, Physical, and Laboratory Examinations. 3rd ed. Boston: Butterworths; 1990. Chapter 170. PMID: 21250122.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279/Breast lumps - NHS UK
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/breast-lump/