Breast lumps are a common condition among women. Due to their superficial location, most can be detected through self-examination before symptoms appear. The key is for patients to develop the habit of regular self-examination, master the correct technique, and seek medical attention promptly upon discovering any lump.
Early Detection:
Conduct monthly self-examinations during bathing (ideally one week after menstruation). The correct method is: ① Cross your hands to examine both breasts (left hand for right breast, right hand for left breast).② Keep the four fingers (excluding the thumb) together and pressed firmly against the chest wall. Gently press in a sequential pattern across all areas of the breast using alternating fingers. Normal breast tissue feels soft; a lump will feel like something moving beneath the fingers. ③ Avoid pinching the breast tissue, as this can cause normal breast tissue to bunch up, creating a lump-like sensation. This also obscures any actual lumps present.
Early Diagnosis:
Diagnosing breast lumps requires considering the patient's age, medical history, and lump characteristics, combined with necessary auxiliary tests (such as ultrasound, infrared imaging, mammography, fine-needle aspiration biopsy, etc.).Various conditions exhibit distinct characteristics: Common fibroadenomas often appear in adolescent females, presenting as smooth, mobile masses. Intraductal papillomas occur near the nipple, typically small and inconspicuous, accompanied by bloody nipple discharge. Phyllodes tumors can rapidly grow into large masses within a short period, commonly affecting older individuals with firm, poorly mobile masses that may extend into the axilla.Additionally, these conditions may occur in one or both breasts. They often cause swelling and pain before menstruation, which may lessen or disappear after menstruation begins. Palpation may reveal thickened, non-smooth, tender glandular tissue with indistinct borders and a relatively firm texture.
Early Treatment:
Benign breast tumors carry a risk of malignant transformation. Therefore, breast masses should generally be surgically removed. Even breast cancer is not incurable. With early detection, diagnosis, and treatment, combined with necessary comprehensive post-operative therapies (such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy), it can be effectively cured. (Image source: PConline Photography Community)