All Breast Lumps are Not Cancerous, Says Radiologist Expert

New Delhi, Oct 7, 2017: Breast Cancer is one of the supreme causes of female deaths, however, it's awareness is low in India. A leading Radiologist, Dr. Jyoti Arora, Associate Director, Medanta – the Medicity states that 8 out of 10 cases of breast lumps are not cancerous and undergoing biopsy is the only way to rule out breast cancer.

In India, two responses with respect to breast lumps are generally normal. Either the feeling of a lump formation in the breast is disregarded or the patient gets hysterical. The two responses are extreme and caused by the absence of proper awareness but in altogether different ways.

A recent study summarized that its predominance is as high as 25.8 per 1,00,000 women and its death rate are 12.7 per 1,00,000 women, mentioned ANI.

Dr. Arora has disclosed that because of the absence of awareness, a huge number of Indian women do not choose appropriate tests and treatment.

Arora said, "One of the first symptoms of breast cancer is the formation of lumps in the breast. While many women from not so educated and aware sections of society do not identify lump in the breast as a reason enough to see the doctor, those who are aware of the connection between breast lumps and cancer does not realize that in 8 out of 10 cases, lumps in breasts are non-cancerous. For them, a breast lump is the synonym of breast cancer and they feel it's the end of their life so do not get it evaluated."

As the lumps are associated with pain, some females do not seek medical advice. The non-cancerous lumps are cyst formation, fibro-adenoma which is an abnormal non-cancerous growth, or maybe a temporary sign due to woman's menstrual cycle.

Cancerous lumps are usually hard to feel and not associated with pain.

So if a female feels a lump, she should visit a breast specialist who will get a mammography and ultrasound done. If a solid lump is confirmed on imaging then in most of the cases biopsy would be needed to confirm whether the lump is cancerous or not.

To check cancerous cells, a radiologist removes tissue while conducting a breast biopsy from the suspected area for lab testing.

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"There are various types of biopsies that a patient is offered. Tru cut needle biopsy is performed in majority of the cases, however when the abnormality is very small, subtle or when seen only on the mammograms in the form of calcifications or only on the breast MRI, vacuum-assisted breast biopsies (VABB) are preferred as they increase the accuracy and sensitivity of getting a representative sample from the abnormal area. Through VABB, more tissue can be removed than by the true cut needle biopsy and hence a more accurate report can be generated by the pathologist," added Arora.

One should look for changes in the breast in terms of size and shape. Other than formation of lump, observe whether there are skin changes such as swelling and redness, in drawing of the nipples or if there is pain, irritation, change of color, or peeling and flaking of nipple skin.