See a GP if: your lump gets bigger. your lump is painful, red or hot. your lump is hard and does not move. your lump lasts more than 2 weeks.
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. In order for you to feel a cancerous lump, it probably has to be rather large and closer to the surface of the skin.
See a GP if you notice:
a lump in your breast or armpit. any other unusual changes in your breasts – such as the nipple turning inwards, dimpled skin or bloodstained nipple discharge.
"About 10% to 20% of lumps are cancer. The rest are benign."
Lumps that are benign (not cancer) may be tender and feel smooth and mobile. A cancerous lump is more likely to feel hard, but some non-cancerous lumps can feel hard, too.
Breast cancer has to divide 30 times before it can be felt. Up to the 28th cell division, neither you nor your doctor can detect it by hand. With most breast cancers, each division takes one to two months, so by the time you can feel a cancerous lump, the cancer has been in your body for two to five years.
Finding a new lump or bump on your body would give most of us pause. After all, a lump can, in rare cases, mean cancer. But not every bump or lump should cause concern or worry.
1 in 2 people will get cancer in their lifetime - one of the main reasons for this being that people are living longer. Half of all cancers are in people over the age of 70. But getting older doesn't mean you will definitely get cancer.
See a GP if:
your lump gets bigger. your lump is painful, red or hot. your lump is hard and does not move. your lump lasts more than 2 weeks.
'If you're worried about a lump, or it's been there for more than 2 weeks, speak to a doctor to get it checked out as soon as possible,' says Dr Saloojee. 'Regularly examining your body is vital because spotting any new lumps quickly can be an important way to catch anything serious early.
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.
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.
Tumors may be either benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Benign tumors usually grow in one place and do not spread. Malignant tumors develop in one area of the body, then spread to others. Both benign and malignant tumors vary in size.
They can feel firm or soft. Benign masses are more likely to be painful to the touch, such as with an abscess. Benign tumors also tend to grow more slowly, and many are smaller than 5 cm (2 inches) at their longest point. Sarcomas (cancerous growths) more often are painless.
Sometimes, a cancer diagnosis comes out of the blue, with no symptoms at all. But more often, there are various symptoms that may be warning signs of the disease.
Years or even decades may pass before they cause noticeable symptoms. During this time, the cancer may go undetected. Cancer may also go undetected because of factors such as an individual's overall health and medical conditions that may cause symptoms similar to cancer.
Carcinoid tumor is a rare type of tumor that usually grows slowly. Carcinoid tumors are cancerous, but have been called cancer in slow motion, because if you have a carcinoid tumor, you may have it for many years and never know it.
They: usually grow faster than benign tumours. spread into surrounding tissues and cause damage. may spread to other parts of the body in the bloodstream or through the lymph system to form secondary tumours.
Persistent lumps or swelling in any part of your body should be taken seriously. This includes any lumps in the neck, armpit, stomach, groin, chest, breast, or testicle.
Likewise, lumps that are harmless can often be accompanied by tenderness, pain, or drainage. Signs that suggest a lump might be concerning include: if it suddenly becomes very hard or feels like a rock under the skin. if the lump starts bleeding or becomes a wound.
In most cases, cancerous lumps are red and firm and sometimes turn into ulcers, while cancerous patches are usually flat and scaly. Non-melanoma skin cancer most often develops on areas of skin regularly exposed to the sun, such as the face, ears, hands, shoulders, upper chest and back.