How can you classify a bodily mass?

Question

I have a lump not directly below but below and a little to the right of my sternum. It is not my Xiphoid Process, it is above that. I have had this lump for several monthes now, and I can't say for sure how fast it grew into what it now is. Whether is was always the size it is now, rapidly grew, or slowly grew, I cannot say. All I can say is that t did not appear to grow or change in any way for at least one whole month. My doctor felt the lump and told me that it did not feel like and would be an unsual place for cancer. Only breast cancer runs in my mom's side of the family, but this wouldn't be classified as breast cancer anyway. There is no visible symptoms of this mass (Inflammation, discoloration, draining, etc.), it is under the skin, not on it at all. I always hear online to check how hard it is and if it moves. Well can say that it isn't hard, but feels kind of fleshy. When I poke one side the other side goes up, etc. Kind of squishy, I suppose. And as far as how much it moves, I can't really say. I don't know how much it should move. I can't really move it as in drag it to a new location or anything like that but I can squish it around a lot. When I suck in my stomach and lean back, it appears to recede with the rest of my organs,but I can still feel a bit of it if not all of it hanging on attached possibly to some bone in the V of my sternum. It feels a bit like my hardened muscle in that area to be honest. It's not completely solid, of course. And it sort of moves with the muscle. When I suck in, it reduces, when I push out (flex), it increases and hardens. But if it were muscle it should be more symetrical and there isn't any on the opposite end, which leads me to believe it isn't. If my doctor is right, this is most likely a cyst or lipoma, but I want to hear your opinions. And please don't tell me to just get a biopsy. I will do that if I notice any changes in the mass, I can figure out that much on my own. But as of now, a biopsy is just a costly and painful experience that could leave me with a scar. So it's not really an option right now.

Answer 1

There is no way for anyone even a doctor to answer this question for you. Only a biopsy will reveal one way or the other if this is malignant or not. And, yes, cancer can appear in that location . . your doctor might not know this because the overwhelming majority of general practitioners do not seem to have a clue that a young person are more prone to sarcoma than any other age group. Your doctor is guessing that it could be a cyst or lipoma . . but he probably didn't mention a sarcoma . . sarcoma can be deadly (possible types in this location include Chrondosarcoma, Ewings sarcoma, Fibrosarcoma, Synovial sarcoma, Askin's tumor, and other rare soft tissue types). Unless you have a biopsy there will be no definitive answer.

It is your choice.

Answer 2

From your description above it just sounds like a cyst. If it were a it would not be squisy. It would be hard. However keep an eye on it, and if you notice any changes go immediately to your doctor.