Breast awareness and benign conditions

One of the easiest ways to care for your breasts is by knowing them. That means familiarizing yourself with what’s normal for your breasts, so you notice when something changes.

How your breasts look and feel can fluctuate throughout the month, but when something feels noticeably different or not right to you — even something small — you should call your doctor.

Organizations including the American Cancer Society, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists now say women should focus on breast self-awareness instead of performing breast self-examinations, or BSEs, for breast health.

While you may feel comfortable performing regular breast self-exams as a means for keeping track of how your breasts look and feel, it’s important to remember there is very little evidence that these exams are helpful for women at an average risk of breast cancer. Also, they don’t take the place of your annual mammogram.

Screening for breast cancer can help catch the disease sooner, before symptoms appear, and when there are often more treatment options available.

Finding a lump or noticing a change in your breasts can make you worry. However, it may ease your mind to know that most breast lumps or changes are benign, or non-cancerous. It’s important to visit your provider right away, so they can take a closer look.

Common types of benign breast problems 

Common non-cancerous breast problems include:

• Changes in breast skin caused by psoriasis, eczema or other skin conditions
• Cysts – Fluid-filled sacs
• Fibroadenomas – Very common, solid, round lumps that move easily
• Fibrocystic breasts – Changes caused by hormones during your menstrual cycle
• Intraductal papilloma – A milk duct growth
• Lipoma – A slow-growing fatty mass
• Mastitis – A breast tissue infection that often affects women who are breastfeeding
• Milk cyst – A harmless milk-filled cyst
• Nipple discharge – Typically a milky white or greenish substance that comes out of the breast
• Trauma or injury

Diagnosis and treatment

If you notice any changes in your breasts, call your doctor. You may need a mammogram or another imaging test to determine the cause. Most benign breast conditions do not increase your risk of developing breast cancer and are easily treated if they don’t go away on their own.

Breast changes to notice

Some changes in the breasts that may prompt you to call your doctor include:

• A lump
• Changes in size or shape
• Dimpling or irritated skin
• Nipple discharge
• Nipple pain or redness
• Swelling
• Swollen lymph nodes in the armpit

If you recognize any of these changes, talk to your provider. Fortunately, cancer is not the cause of most breast concerns or changes. Still, it’s important to have any new breast lump or mass, or any new changes to the breasts, checked by your doctor.