Knowledge is Power
Lumps And Bumps Don’t Always Mean Cancer
By: Amelia Gunter, MD
need more pictures taken, but most of these are not malignant or
cancerous. Only two to four of every 1,000 mammograms lead to a
diagnosis of cancer, according to the ACS.
Common mammogram findings include calcifications, a mass,
fibrosis or lipoma. Some of these conditions can indicate the possibility of cancer, and others are completely benign. Your physician
will recommend further testing, if needed. Calcifications – tiny mineral deposits in the breast tissue – show up as white flecks on your
mammogram film. There are two types: macrocalcifications, which
are larger deposits generally caused by aging, injury or inflammation; and microcalcifications, tiny specs of calcium in the breast
tissue, scattered or in clusters. The pattern and number of these
deposits will help your doctor make a determination about whether
cancer is present.
A mass may or may not be cancerous. The size, shape and
borders of a mass help to define whether it is benign or malignant.
Fibrosis refers to the presence of fibrous tissue – a thickened area
similar to scar tissue, which may be tender. Fibrocystic changes
do not increase the chance for breast cancer, and any discomfort
can be treated with over-the-counter pain relievers or diet changes, such as limiting caffeine. Fibroadenomas are benign tumors
made of both connective tissue and breast tissue. They are more
common in younger women under age 40, are round and well defined, painless and move. Another benign tumor is a lipoma, or fatty
tumor, which is not tender and can occur anywhere.
Most benign breast conditions do not raise your risk of developing breast cancer. Depending on your diagnosis, your doctor may
wish to perform imaging tests such as an ultrasound or MRI, or
more frequent mammograms to keep a close eye on your health.
About the Author: Amelia Gunter, MD, a member of the medical
staff at Weatherford Regional Medical Center, is board certified
in surgery, but her practice is limited to diseases of the breast.
She graduated medical school from Texas A&M University Health
Science Center and received her residency training from Scott and
White Memorial Hospital in College Station, Texas. She is board
certified by the American Board of Surgery and is a member of the
American Society of Breast Surgeons.
To find a physician close to you, visit
Weatherford Regional Medical Center’s online Physician Directory at
WeatherfordRegional.com/Physicians
PA R K E R C O U N T Y T O D AY
Sources: The American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org
National Cancer Institute, www.cancer.gov
The Mayo Clinic, www.mayoclinic.com.
AUGUST 2015
Breast cancer is a pervasive, highly publicized and very personal
disease. Most everyone has a relative or friend who has had a
brush with breast cancer – a scare, a survival story, or the memory
of a loved one who succumbed to it.
According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the
second most common cancer among women other than skin cancer. It’s estimated that more than 200,000 women will be diagnosed
with breast cancer during 2015.
Regular clinical breast exams and mammograms are the first
line of defense for all adult women to monitor their breast health
and follow up on any changes their doctor may notice such as
lumps, bumps, pain and tenderness or unusual discharge. Certain
changes in breast tissue are normal and more common as women
age, but any unusual symptoms should be shared with your doctor
to make sure they are not cancer. Though the value and diagnostic
capabilities of breast self-exams (BSE) have been debated both in
health care circles and the media, it’s agreed that a thorough knowledge of the normal look and feel of one’s breasts can help detect
any obvious changes.
Research from the Mayo Clinic states that eight of every 10
breast lumps are not cancerous. And, according to the American
Cancer Society, the most common physical changes in the breasts
– lumps, tenderness or discharge – are usually linked to benign
conditions, i.e., conditions that do not lead to cancer. The most
common diagnoses related to a breast lump, says the ACS, include
fibroadenoma (a benign solid tumor), fibrocystic changes (benign
breast changes), atypical hyperplasia (fast-growing abnormal cells),
cysts (benign, fluid-filled sacs), or non-invasive cancers, such as
ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) – a cancer of the milk ducts.
A lump or cyst may be detected by a woman during a BSE or
by her doctor during a clinical exam. A lump that is also tender and
warm to the touch is likely a breast infection. A cyst is a round or an
oval mass which can move when touched and is full of fluid. Found
in about one in three women between ages 35 and 50, cysts are
diagnosed by a breast ultrasound or biopsy.
Other breast changes are not visible to the eye and show up
during a mammogram, an X-ray that takes a picture of the breast
tissue and can detect tumors before they are big enough for your
doctor to feel. Beginning at age 40, women should have a screening mammogram once a year and more often if there is a genetic
predisposition toward breast cancer or a breast condition that
warrants close follow-up.
A call from your doctor after a mammogram can be a worrisome experience. In most cases, the area in question turns out to
be benign. About one in 10 women who get a mammogram will
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