Lumps in the breasts

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Breast Lump Removal: Illustrated Series

Causes of breast lumps

Female breast

Normal female breast anatomy

There are many causes for lumps in the breast. These range from normal changes in your body to abnormal breast disease. Breast lumps are either benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous).

See also:

• Breast lumps (symptom article)
• Breast abscess
• Fibroadenoma
• Fibrocystic breast disease
• Breast cancer

Fibroadenoma

Some lumps are age-dependent. Newborn boys and girls both have lumps of enlarged breast tissue beneath the nipple, which have been stimulated by maternal hormones. These disappear within a few months of birth.

Beginning as early as age 8, girls may develop tender lumps beneath one or both nipples (frequently only one). These lumps are breast buds and are one of the earlier signs of the beginning of puberty.

Boys at mid-puberty (usually around age 14 or 15) may develop tender lumps beneath one or both nipples, also in response to the hormonal changes of puberty. These tend to disappear over a period of 6 months to 1 year.

It is also important to remember that hormonal changes just prior to menstruation may give a lumpy or granular feeling to the breast tissue.

The discovery of a lump in the breast usually brings the thought of cancer immediately to mind. However, it is important to remember that 80-85% of all breast lumps are benign, especially in women less than age 40. Benign causes of breast lumps include fibrocystic breast changes, fibroadenoma, fat necrosis (damage to some of the fat tissue within the breast), and breast abscess.

FIBROCYSTIC BREAST DISEASE

Many providers prefer the term "condition" to "disease" because fibrocystic breast disease is so common. The cause is not completely understood but is believed to be associated with ovarian hormones, since the condition usually subsides with menopause and varies with the menstrual cycle.

This condition may occur in over 60% of all women. It is common in women aged 30 to 50 and is rare after menopause. The condition is less common in women taking birth control pills. Risk factors may include heredity and diet (excessive dietary fat, caffeine intake).