How to distinguish between breast and lump?

Breasts are one of the most important organs and tissues for women. Because full and enlarged breasts are a manifestation of gender characteristics and fertility, most women like to make their breasts bigger and healthier. However, breast diseases caused by overdeveloped mammary glands are also very common. For example, breast lumps are a common symptom. Let’s take a look at how to distinguish between breasts and lumps. I hope women can understand this.

Many people do self-examination when taking a shower. What should they do if they find a lump? First of all, don't panic, because 80% to 85% of breast lumps are benign, which means they will not become cancerous, especially in women under 40 years old. Furthermore, if you have regular mammograms, you can be more certain that a lump is not cancer.

Breast lumps

The breast is composed of fat, nerves, blood vessels, fibrous connective tissue and glandular tissue, and an intricate network of lobules and ducts of the milk system. Anatomically speaking, this is a very rough and uneven terrain. Harmless breast lumps are solid, like dried beans, and when you self-examine, you can walk among the lumps, and they feel like grapes. The difference between a benign lump and a cancer is often that a benign breast lump is movable, while a breast cancer is not. In addition to this, benign lumps feel soft to the touch, while malignant breast cancer feels hard.

Benign breast lumps are often directly related to your menstrual cycle and will change with fluctuating hormones, so it is best to wait a few days after your period ends before self-examination.

Benign breast lumps may be fibrocystic nodules, which are the most common, affecting at least half of women. Fibrocystic breast disease is associated with hormonal fluctuations, with the risk increasing as we approach middle age and disappearing after menopause. The findings showed that women who have never had children, those with irregular menstrual cycles and those with a family history of breast cancer were at higher risk of developing benign lumps.