Breast lumps are the most common symptom of breast cancer, with about 90% of patients presenting with this symptom. This percentage will probably increase as tumor knowledge becomes more widespread and cancer screening is conducted.
Early breast cancer lumps are usually small and sometimes not easily distinguished from lobular growths or some benign lesions.
Even small lumps can sometimes involve the suspensory ligament of the breast and cause symptoms such as local skin indentation or nipple retraction, which are easier to detect early.
In the past, lumps were often larger when they came to the clinic because of poor health care. Nowadays, with the popularity of breast self-examination and screening, there is an increase in early stage breast cancer in the clinic.
Lumps in breast cancer can be large or small:
- T1 Tumor with a maximum diameter of ≤2 cm.
- T1a Tumor with a maximum diameter ≤0.5 cm.
- Tumor with a maximum diameter ≤0.5 cm.
- T1b The maximum diameter of the tumor is 0.6-1.0cm.
- T1b The maximum diameter of the tumor is 0.6-1.0cm.
- T1c The maximum diameter of the tumor is 1.1-2.0cm.
- T2 tumor maximum diameter 2.1-5.0cm.
- T2 tumor maximum diameter 2.1-5.0cm.
N0 No lymph nodes were palpated in the ipsilateral axilla. M0 No distant metastasis.
Lumps appear in the breast, usually in middle-aged and older women around menopause, and they increase rapidly in a short period of time. The lumps are hard, some even feel like a stone, and occur mostly unilaterally in the breast and feel adherent to the tissue surrounding the skin. The earliest initial lumps of breast cancer are solitary and not painful, and a few patients will have varying degrees of tenderness or tingling.