What would a breast cancer lump feel like?

Question

Would it be big, small, hard, soft, sore, lumpy...?

Answer 1

Hi

First - I see from your Q&A that your 16. At your age your chances of having breast cancer are just about nil. It's a disease of ageing - 80% of those diagnosed are over 50, it's rare in women under 40 and it's almost unheard of in under 20s.

There are questions on here every day from teenagers terrified that they have breast cancer because of perfectly normal hormonal activity.

Now - your question. There isn't an answer really. Most cancerous lumps aren't painful though, unless they're advanced - which would normally take some years.

Before I was diagnosed with breast cancer, the first two doctors who gave me a physical exam - one of them a cancer specialist - thought it was unlikely that my large, smooth, egg-shaped lump was a tumour because it wasn't typical.

My friend's cancerous breast lump was, she said, the shape of a long, thin string bean. I've heard someone else describe hers as like a very small pea.

So you see, cancerous breast lumps are of various sizes - there isn't a rule.

If you're worried about a lump, it will almost certainly be hormonal. Talk to your mother, or your school nurse if your school isn't still closed for the summer. Or see your doctor for reassurance