You cannot reliably determine whether a breast lump is cancerous or benign by physical examination alone - not by a patient, and not even by a surgeon without imaging. Some benign lumps feel firm and fixed, while some malignant lesions may not have the characteristics commonly associated with cancer. Self-diagnosis based on physical characteristics is unreliable and potentially misleading. During a clinical examination, a surgeon assesses several features including size, location, consistency, mobility, and relationship to surrounding tissue, along with the skin, nipple, and lymph nodes. But this is only one part of the process. Depending on age and clinical findings, ultrasound, mammography, and sometimes a biopsy are required before the nature of a breast abnormality can be confidently established.
Written by Dr. Anupama Pujar K, MBBS (M S Ramaiah Medical College, Bengaluru), MS General Surgery (JSS Medical College, Mysore, 2006), FMAS, FIAGES, Dip MAS, ATLS Provider, General and Laparoscopic Surgeon, Bangalore Orthopaedic and Surgical Hospital (BOSH) HRBR Layout, Motherhood Hospital HRBR Layout, and Sapthagiri Super Speciality Hospital, Bengaluru. Phone: +91 80 6954 9278 / +91 80672 38855.
