What is a breast mass?
A mass in your breast is a tissue growth that can adopt many characteristics, such as:
- A well-defined lump
- A hardened area within your breast
- One breast that’s larger than the other
- Skin that’s red, dimpled, or puckered
- Changes in your nipple’s appearance
- Pain or tenderness
You know your breasts best, so anything that’s out of the ordinary should be considered suspicious and worth getting checked out.
How is a breast mass diagnosed?
If you have a mass in your breast, it’s vital that you seek medical guidance as soon as possible. During your visit at Southwest Valley Surgical Associates, your doctor examines the area and asks you about your health and your family’s medical history.
After a physical exam, your doctor typically orders further diagnostic testing through advanced imaging. From an ultrasound to an MRI, there are many tools at the doctor’s disposal to see what’s going on inside your breast.
Depending on the results of these images, your doctor may want to get a biopsy of the tissue. This procedure is done under local anesthesia and on an outpatient basis. The doctor removes a sample of the tissue to run tests on it in a laboratory.
What causes a mass in the breast?
While breast cancer is usually the first thing women suspect when there’s a mass, the fact is that most breast masses are noncancerous.
The most common type of breast mass is a fibroadenoma, which is a benign tumor that’s related to hormones. These tumors often appear in women under 30 and less so as women grow older and pass through menopause.
Other reasons for a breast mass include:
- Cysts
- Fibrocystic breasts, which means that your breast tissue is dense and fibrous
- Injury to your breast
- Cysts in the milk ducts
- Mastitis, which is an infection in your breast tissue from breastfeeding
- Lipoma, a harmless fatty lump
To be sure, breast cancer is a valid concern and a diagnosis can only be determined after an appropriate work up.
If you have a mass in your breast, call Southwest Valley Surgical Associates to get to the bottom of the issue. Or schedule an appointment using the easy online booking tool.
