Q&A for How to Identify a Lump in a Breast

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I just gave birth 3 months ago and once I was feeding my baby when I felt a big lump in my right breast, underneath the breast and on the side. What could it be?

Lacy Windham, MD
Board Certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist
Lacy Windham, MD, is a Board-Certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist in Cleveland, Tennessee. Dr. Windham attended medical school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. Her residency was completed at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia. She was the recipient of multiple awards during her residency training, including Most Outstanding Resident in Maternal Fetal Medicine, Most Outstanding Resident in Oncology, Most Outstanding Resident Overall, and Special Award in Minimally Invasive Surgery.

Lacy Windham, MD

Board Certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist

Expert Answer

It could be many things, ranging from engorgement, glandular tissue, plugged duct, abscess, or other breast conditions not related to breastfeeding. If it is still there have it examined.

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Question

Is it normal to have a small ball in my breast?

Lacy Windham, MD
Board Certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist
Lacy Windham, MD, is a Board-Certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist in Cleveland, Tennessee. Dr. Windham attended medical school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. Her residency was completed at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia. She was the recipient of multiple awards during her residency training, including Most Outstanding Resident in Maternal Fetal Medicine, Most Outstanding Resident in Oncology, Most Outstanding Resident Overall, and Special Award in Minimally Invasive Surgery.

Lacy Windham, MD

Board Certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist

Expert Answer

If you are young it likely represents a benign tumor such as a fibroadenoma or a cyst. You should have any breast lump examined by a physician.

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What if I have a dense breast shown on mammograms and I feel a lump and soreness in my right armpit?

Lacy Windham, MD
Board Certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist
Lacy Windham, MD, is a Board-Certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist in Cleveland, Tennessee. Dr. Windham attended medical school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. Her residency was completed at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia. She was the recipient of multiple awards during her residency training, including Most Outstanding Resident in Maternal Fetal Medicine, Most Outstanding Resident in Oncology, Most Outstanding Resident Overall, and Special Award in Minimally Invasive Surgery.

Lacy Windham, MD

Board Certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist

Expert Answer

This should be examined by a physician. There are many potential reasons to have a benign lump in the armpit, but 10% of cancers are missed on mammogram, especially in the setting of dense breasts. You may need a biopsy depending on your doctor's clinical impression of the lump.

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I have had a very red, sore patch on my areola, with a firm hard lump underneath the skin for about 3 days now. I am nearly 49, and finished my menstrual cycle about a week ago. Should I be worried?

Carrie Noriega, MD
Board Certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist
Dr. Noriega is a Board Certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist and medical writer in Colorado. She specializes in women’s health, rheumatology, pulmonology, infectious disease, and gastroenterology. She received her MD from the Creighton School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska and completed her residency at the University of Missouri - Kansas City in 2005.

Carrie Noriega, MD

Board Certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist

Expert Answer

It is hard to say whether you should be worried or not but you should get this looked at by your doctor. Only they can tell you exactly what this area is.

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