You've discovered a lump in your breast and start panicking, imagining all sorts of worst-case scenarios. But it doesn't have to be a scary situation if you take the proper steps to treat a breast lump and seek medical treatment. Studies show that nearly 80 percent of masses end up being benign. But no matter what the case, there are a number of treatment options available.
Instructions
Treat Lumps in the Breasts
1. Determine if you have lumps in your breast(s). It's recommended that women conduct a self examination of their breasts every month in conjunction with regular visits to the gynecologist. If a lump is discovered, either by you or your doctor, follow-up treatment is essential to breast health.
2. Get an ultrasound and a mammography. Contact a doctor for an evaluation of the breast lump and make an appointment. The density of the lump will determine what type of mass it is. There are different kinds of lumps: cysts, which are fluid-filled sacs that are generally firm; solid breast masses, which can be benign or malignant; and fibroadenomas, which are solid, rubbery masses with well-defined borders that are mainly benign.
3. Have a biopsy done. If an ultrasound is inconclusive, a lump has increased in size over time or your physician recommends it, you should have the lump biopsied. These tests are used to determine whether the lump is benign or malignant. One procedure is fine-needle aspiration biopsy, in which both fluid and cells are removed from a cyst with a small needle. Another is core biopsy, where a wide-bore needle is inserted and a cylindrical piece of the breast mass is removed. Further treatment is dependent on whether the excised piece of breast lump or fluid is determined to be benign or malignant.
4. Consider excisional surgery for benign lumps. Some doctors recommend removing lumps if they become worrisome or if they grow rapidly and compromise other breast structures. Surgery usually involves general anesthesia and is done on an outpatient basis with a short recovery time.
5. Start a course of treatment for malignant breast lumps. If a biopsy determines the mass is cancerous, your medical professional will want to remove the malignancy--and sometimes associated lymph nodes, if affected--and start a radiation and chemotherapy regimen. You may be placed on hormone therapy following a lumpectomy in an attempt to prevent a recurrence of breast cancer. In extreme cases, a mastectomy is done to remove the entire breast and stop the spread of cancerous cells.
6. Be aware that new lumps may form. Particularly with benign breast lumps such as fibroadenomas, there is a good chance that you will discover new masses. If this is the case, you should head back to your physician or gynecologist to address the situation and provide the proper course of treatment.
Tags: benign malignant, breast lump, breast lumps, course treatment, Lumps Breasts, piece breast
