Most of the time, breast lumps are not a sign of cancer, just a benign, life-threatening change. However, to confirm whether a nodule is benign or malignant the best way is to do a biopsy, which consists of removing a piece of the nodule to be evaluated in the laboratory, in order to identify if there are cancerous cells.
This type of examination can be ordered by the mastologist and is usually done as soon as mammogram changes that may indicate breast cancer appear.
However, through self-examination of the breast, the woman can also identify some characteristics that may lead her to distrust a malignant nodule. However, in such cases, it is also recommended to go to the mastologist to take the necessary tests and confirm if there really is a risk of cancer.
Malignant nodule characteristics
Although it is not a precise way to identify a malignant nodule, breast palpation can help identify cancer characteristics, which include:
- Irregular lump in breast;
- Caroço hard as a small stone;
- Changes in breast skin, such as increased thickness or color change;
- One breast looks much bigger than the other.
In these cases, one should go to the mastologist to have a mammogram and, if necessary, perform a biopsy to confirm if it is indeed a malignant nodule and initiate appropriate treatment.
While breast pain does not mean that the lump is malignant, it is more easily related to hormonal changes, although there are cases where the woman may feel pain when the cancer is too advanced. Learn more about the signs you should be aware of during breast self-examination.
Also watch the following video and see how to properly do the self-examination:
How to treat the lump
When there is a nodule, but the doctor thinks there are no signs of malignancy on the mammogram, treatment can be done only with regular mammograms every 6 months to assess if the nodule is growing. If it is growing, there is a greater risk of being malignant, and then a biopsy may be requested.
However, if malignancy is confirmed with biopsy, treatment for breast cancer that varies according to the degree of development, but which may include surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy, is started to kill the cancer cells. Understand more about how breast cancer treatment is done.
