Breast Mass Resident Survival Guide

Overview

A breast mass is described as a mass that develops in the breast tissue. The breast consists of many different types of tissue, like mamillary glands, and mamillary ducts, and tubes. As a result, the breast mass differs widely in sizes and textures, and symptoms like pain or tenderness. They can be large or small and may either feel hard or spongy. Most of the breast masses are discovered incidentally, either by women on self-breast examination, physical examination by the practitioner, or if an imaging study was done for some other diagnosis. Sometimes, the diagnosis is made while the annual mammography is done to detect possible suspicious lesions. Women of the reproductive age group are more prone to develop breast lumps or masses. Breast masses can be physiological like adenosis or pathological like malignancy or cancer. Occasionally, breast masses can be associated with hormonal changes, which have a waxing and waning course. Breast masses, although uncommon, can occur in men. Most of the breast masses are benign. Imaging studies like mammograms, ultrasound, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology, and Biopsy are used for confirming the diagnosis. If the diagnosis of cancer is confirmed, modalities like lumpectomy, mastectomy, chemotherapy, or radiation are used to treat that.

Causes

Life Threatening Causes

• Breast cancer
• Breast abscess causing sepsis

Common Causes

• Breast cysts
• Galactocele
• Fibrocystic masses
• Fibroadenoma
• Hamartoma
• Intraductal papilloma
• Lipoma
• Mastitis
• Trauma