What happens if I have a lump in my breast?

The body structure of women is different from that of men, especially the development of women's breasts is significantly more obvious than that of men. This is because women's breasts have the function of feeding offspring, and the mammary glands that secrete milk in the breasts are very developed. This is precisely the source of pathological reactions in women's breasts. For example, what's wrong with lumps in women's breasts?

1. Breast hyperplasia: divided into lobular hyperplasia nodules and cysts. The lumps of nodules are irregular in shape, often multiple, and appear in the form of flakes, nodules, or cords, and are not adhered to the skin and deep fascia; while cysts have clear boundaries and a soft texture. There will be mild to moderate tenderness in the local area of ​​breast hyperplasia, and the lumps may change with the menstrual cycle. The pain is often obvious during menstruation and the lumps become larger. The pain will be relieved after menstruation, and the lumps and nodules will also shrink accordingly.

2. Mastitis: mostly occurs in lactating women. But among non-lactation mastitis, plasma cell mastitis is now more common. This type of mastitis is a chronic non-bacterial inflammation of the breast. It is often accompanied by breast pain, redness and swelling, and hard lumps can often be felt in the breast. Breast abscesses may form as the disease progresses.

3. Breast fibroids: This is the most common benign breast tumor, which often occurs in young women and is rare after the age of 40. The lumps are mostly regular circles, usually no larger than 4 cm in diameter, with a firm texture, clear boundaries, wide mobility, and no adhesion to the skin. Breast fibroadenomas are painless and grow slowly. It is normal for fibroadenomas to grow within 5 mm within a year.

4. Breast cancer: There is usually no obvious pain or discomfort in the early stages. Breast cancer tumors grow quickly, have a rough surface, are hard in texture, have unclear boundaries, and are difficult to move. This type of lump is often already quite large once discovered, and in the late stages the local skin becomes ulcerated and infiltrated, causing pain. It can lead to nipple inversion and metastasis to the axillary, supraclavicular lymph nodes and organs, which is life-threatening.