Is this normal?

Question

I feel this lump in both of my breast I am 22, anybody who has had children have you ever had this in your breast, because I have had this before but the "lump" moved around.

maybe i should add a little more, I have no health insurance so apparently no doctor. who do you go to

Just wanted to let everyone know, that the lumps happen to have been because it's close to my menstruation cycle and some women get the lumps, and it can hurt too because of too much caffeine, chocolate and things like that. Thanks for everyone's help

Answer 1

Breast lumps are very common and account for more than half the referrals seen at breast clinics.

They can occur in women of any age, and most are benign in nature.
The most common types of lump are fibro-adenomas, lumps due to fibrocystic change, breast cysts and breast cancer.
When assessing a breast lump, certain clinical features are important. These can help to determine which type of pathology is present.

The likelihood of certain conditions depends mainly upon age. Most breast disorders, whether benign or malignant, can occur in women of any age, but certain patterns are well known:


15 - 30: fibro adenomas (benign)
30 - 45: fibrocystic changes (benign)
45: menopause : breast cysts (benign)
After menopause: cancer could be more likely


Shape of the Lump
Lumps such as fibro-adenomas and cysts, are normally smooth.

Lumps due to fibrocystic change are often described as "lumpy", with an apparently irregular shape.

Breast cancers are more often irregular in shape.

Consistency
The texture of a lump can suggest its nature.

Fibro-adenomas usually feel hard and rubbery, whilst breast cysts are "fluctuant" - i.e. when they are felt it is possible to change their shape slightly.

Fibrocystic lumps can assume different degrees of texture. They are often hard but not always, and when assessing consistency, it is important to consider the texture of the normal surrounding breast tissue.


Breast cancers are usually hard on palpation. This is not always the case however, and they can present in a similar way to the others listed above.

Mobility
The mobility of a breast lump is an important clinical feature because breast cancers are often fixed as a result of their ability to invade surrounding tissues and therefore do not seem to move much when examined.

Fibro-adenomas are very mobile, and have been referred to as "breast mice" because of this feature.

Breast cysts are also mobile, whereas fibrocystic lumps (or areas of lumpiness) can be either mobile or not mobile.

Size
Size is not quite so reliable as a clinical feature, especially with regard to cancer, because cancer can manifest as a lump of any size.


Most fibro-adenomas can grow to about 3 cm in size. Sometimes they can be larger than this, but this is less common.

Lumps due to fibrocystic change are often difficult to measure accurately because of their indistinct margins. Sometimes they can feel like an entire quadrant of the breast, even though they are entirely benign.

Breast cysts often appear quickly, unlike most other lumps that take longer to develop. Once again they can be of variable size.

The one type of pathology that is known to be associated with large size is the Phyllodes Tumour. These lesions, sometimes referred to as "giant fibro adenomas", can reach enormous proportions. However, these days most women will alert their doctor before such a size is reached. It should be noted however, these tumours are very rare.





Number
Fibro-adenomas and cancers are usually single. Fibrocystic lumps (and lumpiness) as well as breast cysts are often multiple.





Associated Pain
Lumps can be painful (mastalgia). As a general rule it is often said that benign lumps are more likely to be associated with pain than cancers. This is true, especially for fibrocystic lumps.

Fibro adenomas and cysts can also be painful.



It should also be noted that breast cancer can present as a painful lump and such lumps should never be presumed to be benign until proven otherwise.



Breast pain is extremely common and most women, at some stage or another, will experience breast pain as a symptom.



Breast pain can be due to a number of problems, but is best understood as cyclical or non-cyclical in terms of its relationship to normal menstruation.





Cyclical Breast Pain
There is a clear relationship with the menstrual cycle. Obviously therefore, it occurs in women before the menopause at an average age of about 35.



Most women experience some discomfort and lumpiness in the breasts in the week leading up to the start of a period. Cyclical breast pain that is "abnormal" is different from this in that it is usually much more severe, lasts longer and often causes a certain degree of impairment - e.g. in terms of marital relations, playing sports etc. Some women are affected so much by these symptoms that their quality of life is impaired.


When attending a clinic with breast pain, women are often asked to complete a breast pain chart which will show whether or not the pain is cyclical in nature.

Non-cyclical mastalgia
A number of other conditions can give rise to non-cyclical pain in the breast. In these conditions, the pain is present most of the time at varying levels of intensity, but is not related to the menstrual cycle.

Such conditions include inflammation of the costochondral junctions (Tietze's syndrome), trauma, "trigger point" mastalgia, fat necrosis as well as fibro adenomas and breast cysts.

Nipple Problems
Inversion of the nipple (either on one or both sides) can be normal for some women, and in most cases it is not a problem. Occasionally difficulties can be experienced during breast feeding.

When a nipple that was previously normal becomes inverted, there is often an underlying condition. In most cases the cause will be benign such as diseases affecting the 20 or so large ducts immediately under the nipple. Breast cancer can also cause inversion or retraction of the nipple, but there are often other clinical features such as a lump, distortion of the skin, nipple eczema and bleeding.


Discharge
Nipple discharge is also common. Once again in most cases it is benign. Discharge that is creamy or green in colour is usually benign. Blood-stained nipple discharge can be associated with duct papillomas (benign) but may also be due to breast cancer. For this reason, nipple discharge should be investigated, normally by taking a smear of the discharge for microscopic examination as well as investigation of any associated lumps.

Inflammation
The breast, or one part of it, can become inflamed showing typical signs of redness, heat, swelling and thickening of the tissues including the skin. This can be found in a number of conditions, most of which are benign. They include breast abscesses and periductal mastitis.

Breast cancer can occasionally present as an inflammatory mass. For this reason most patients are followed up to ensure that their condition is settling.

Answer 2

Any lump in the breast needs to be checked out by the doc ASAP. It doesn't matter if you have had children or not. Lumps are not something to be ignored.

Answer 3

If you have any concern at all about the lump in your breast, get to your doctor.

Answer 4

go to the doctor. my friend had a lump in her breast a few months ago and the doctor told her it was just fat deposit. she was 21.

when i was in highschool i knew a girl that had a lump in her breast, she went to the doctor and the doctor had it removed. she was only 17.

so, see a doc. hope it's nuthin. :-)

Answer 5

probably swollen mammary or it may be a cyst. I had one once before, its fairly easy to be removed.but b4 they go remove the sucker, let them draw fluid out of it to see if it may be more than a cyst or swollen mammary gland.

Keep me posted ok?

Answer 6

go see a doctor as soon as possible! it may be a sign of cancer! GO SEE A DOCTOR!!!!