Typically, a lump has to be about one centimeter (about the size of a large lima bean) before a person can feel it; however, it depends on where the lump arises in the breast, how big the breast is, and how deep the lesion is. Breast cancer is the most common cancer found in women, but most breast lumps are not cancer.
“Women who get screening mammograms often have their cancers found before they can be felt. It's common to have tumors that are 2 to 3 centimeters in diameter by the time a woman can feel it in a self-exam.”
Early stage breast cancer – The tumour is smaller than 5 cm and the cancer has not spread to more than 3 lymph nodes. It includes stages 1A, 1B and 2A. Locally advanced breast cancer – The tumour is larger than 5 cm. The cancer may have spread to the skin, the muscles of the chest wall or more than 3 lymph nodes.
Cancerous breast lumps do not have a set size. Some could be the size of a pea while others could be larger. Any lump, no matter how big or small, could cause cancer. That said, the longer a cancerous lump grows, the greater the risk of cancer spreading to other parts of the body.
Tumor size is strongly related to prognosis (chances for survival). In general, the smaller the tumor, the better the prognosis tends to be [12]. Tumor size is part of breast cancer staging.
Most fibroadenomas are 1–2 cm in size, but they can grow as large as 5 cm. Simple fibroadenomas are the most common type of fibroadenoma. They are made up of one type of tissue. Simple fibroadenomas don't increase the risk for breast cancer.
That size is the one at which breast cancer is most commonly diagnosed (the “modal size”) and 2.0 cm marks the boundary between stage i and ii for node-negative breast cancers and between stage ii and iii for node-positive breast cancers.
A tumor may feel more like a rock than a grape. A cancerous lump is usually hard, not soft or squishy. And it often has angular, irregular, asymmetrical edges, as opposed to being smooth, Dr. Comander says.
What typically differentiates a benign breast lump from a cancerous breast lump is movement. That is, a fluid-filled lump that rolls between the fingers is less likely to be cancerous than a hard lump in your breast that feels rooted in place. Another rule of thumb has to do with pain.
A breast cancer lump often feels like a pea- or marble-shaped mass just under the skin. In some people, it may resemble a ridge rather than a bump. Often, they're hard and painless, but some cause discomfort. Performing regular self-exams once a month may help you identify suspicious lumps.
A large, solid-feeling lump that moves easily under your skin. A hard, irregular-shaped breast lump. Skin redness or dimpling like an orange. Changes in breast size or shape.
Stage 1 breast cancer means that the cancer is small and only in the breast tissue or it might be found in lymph nodes close to the breast. It is an early stage breast cancer.
Make an appointment to have a breast lump checked, especially if: The lump is new and feels firm or fixed. The lump doesn't go away after 4 to 6 weeks. Or it has changed in size or in how it feels.
Cancers tend to feel much harder than benign cysts and fibroadenomas. Both benign and malignant masses can be rounded and mobile. Only when cancers are quite advanced are they fixed to skin or the underlying chest wall, and not moveable.
Stage 3 breast cancer symptoms
Symptoms with stage 3 breast cancer may include: Changes to the skin of the breast, including dimpling, redness or other color changes, scaliness or open sores. A lump or swelling in the breast or armpit.
Most breast cancers are found in women who are 50 years old or older. Some women will get breast cancer even without any other risk factors that they know of.
Signs that breast cancer may have spread to the brain
Feeling sick (nausea) and being sick (vomiting) especially when waking in the morning. Weakness or feeling numb down one side of the body. Dizziness, unsteadiness or loss of balance and co-ordination.
Stage 1 breast cancer
Stage 1A means the cancer is 2cm or smaller and has not spread outside the breast. The cancer in the breast is 2cm or smaller and a very tiny area of breast cancer (0.2mm–2mm) is found in the lymph nodes under the arm (micrometastasis).
Stage IIB: The tumor is 2 to 5 cm and the disease has spread to 1 to 3 axillary lymph nodes.
Primary breast tumors vary in shape and size. The smallest lesion that can be felt by hand is typically 1.5 to 2 centimeters (about 1/2 to 3/4 inch) in diameter. Sometimes tumors that are 5 centimeters (about 2 inches) — or even larger — can be found in the breast.