Breast Lump Removal

Pictures & Images

See all Pictures & Images

Overview & Description

A breast lump may be a solid mass or a fluid-filled cyst. Lumps most commonly occur in women, but can occur in men as well. Mammography and ultrasound are two imaging techniques used to evaluate breast lumps, but many people will need to have a tissue sample taken to determine if a suspicious lump is cancerous.

Tissue from a solid mass can be removed by needle biopsy -- a procedure in which a needle is placed into the lump to sample the tissue to check for cancer cells. When the entire lump is surgically removed, the procedure is called a lumpectomy.

For a lumpectomy, general or local anesthesia with or without sedatives is used. Once the area is pain-free, an incision is made and the lump is removed, as is the surrounding rim of normal breast tissue. The lump is then sent to a laboratory for examination.

For a cyst, a needle and syringe are used to drain fluid. If the cystic fluid is clear or green in color, not bloody, and the cyst disappears completely when drained, nothing further needs to be done. If the fluid is bloody, it is sent to the laboratory for analysis. If there is still a lump after the cyst fluid is drained, or if the lump disappears but returns later, it is typically surgically removed.

Only a small portion of all breast lumps are malignant, but the risk increases with age.