Ball in the Breast: Main Causes and Diagnostic Tests

A nodule in the breast is a small ball that in most cases does not indicate the presence of breast cancer, being just a benign disorder such as fibroadenoma or a cyst that usually does not need treatment.

Therefore, you should only suspect breast cancer when the nodule has malignant characteristics such as causing breast size changes or if there is a history of breast cancer in the family, mainly in first-degree relatives.

So if during the breast self-examination you feel one or more nodules it is important to consult a mastologist, so that examinations such as an ultrasound or mammogram are indicated so that the doctor identifies if it is a benign or malignant nodule and defines the treatment more appropriate as the case may be.

Main Benign Causes of a Breast Nodule

Breast nodules that are not linked to cancer are called mastopathy and may arise only due to hormonal alterations, disappearing after menstruation; or they can also arise due to the appearance of a cyst or fibrosis of the breast tissue. Some of the most common causes of breast nodules are:

1. Fibrocystic Alterations

Fibrocystic abnormalities are the most frequent cause of breast nodules and are related to hormonal alterations in the woman's body, especially during the menstrual period or when treatment is being done with some type of hormonal medication.

Characteristics of the nodule: it usually appears a week before the menstrual period and disappears a week after or at the end of the period. Painful and hard nodules may occur, appearing only in one breast or both.

2. Cysts

Cysts usually arise in women during premenopause, above 40 years of age, being a breast disorder that is not serious, being very rare to become cancer, usually does not need treatment.

Characteristics of the nodule: they are more common in both breasts and can change size during the menstrual period. In addition to this, they can also become painful when the woman ingests caffeine through the consumption of coffee, tea or chocolate.

3. Fibroadenoma

Fibroadenoma is a type of breast nodule that is more common in young women, aged between 20 and 40 and is caused by the exaggerated growth of the milk-producing glands and breast tissue.

Characteristics of the nodule: they have a rounded shape, are slightly hard & can move freely through the breast, not being fixed in one place. In addition, they usually do not cause any pain.

4. Lipoma

Lipomas result from the accumulation of fatty tissue in the breast and, therefore, is not serious, and can be removed through surgery just for cosmetic reasons.

Characteristics of the nodule: they are soft, similar to small fat pillows, which can move through the breast. However, in some cases, lipomas can also be hard and can be confused with breast cancer.

5. Sinus Infections

Some infections of the breast, such as mastitis during pregnancy, can cause inflammation of the tissues and ducts inside the breast and lead to the emergence of nodules.

Characteristics of the nodule: normally they cause pain in the breast, especially when they are pressed, and the region where the nodule is can become red. See more about mastitis and how to identify it.

6. Diabetic Mastopathy

Diabetic mastopathy is a rare and serious type of mastitis, an inflammation of the breast that causes pain, redness, and appearance of one or more pellets in the breasts, which can be confused with cancer. This disease appears in people with diabetes who use insulin, reaching mainly women.

Characteristics of the nodule: hardened tumors appear that are painless at the onset of the disease, and blisters may also appear on the skin and pus.

Tests to Identify the Type of Breast Nodule

The exams to make the diagnosis of the most commonly used breast nodule are mammography and ultrasound, but the doctor can also perform a physical examination through palpation of the breasts in the office.

The mammography result is standardized, using the BI-RADS classification system and, therefore, the test result can be:

Category 0: the exam has not been able to identify changes and other complementary exams are necessary;
Category 1: normal result, must be repeated in 1 year;
Category 2: benign changes, without cancer risk, must be repeated in 1 year;
Category 3: probably benign alterations, with a 3% risk of cancer, it is recommended to repeat the test in 6 months;
Category 4: alterations suspected of malignancy, the risk of cancer is 20%, so it is necessary to perform a biopsy and pathological evaluation of breast tissue;
Category 5: probably malignant alterations with a 95% risk of cancer, surgery to remove the alteration being indicated, and a preoperative biopsy may be done;
Category 6: diagnosis of established breast cancer.
The hypoechogenic or hypoechoic sinus nodule is just an expression that appears in the imaging tests, not indicating the severity or malignancy of the nodule.

The hypoechogenic or hypoechoic sinus nodule is just an expression that appears in the imaging tests, not indicating the severity or malignancy of the nodule.

See when a breast ball can be cancer.

Treatment for the Nodule in the Breast

Breast nodules usually do not need treatment, since they do not cause any alteration in the patient's health and do not increase in size. However, when the nodule is very painful or very large, the gynecologist may recommend taking a specific contraceptive pill for the type of nodule or making an aspiration to relieve the symptoms.

Nodule in the Man's Breast

The nodule in the man's breast is usually associated with male breast cancer, but it can also be benign and, therefore, when noticing the presence of a nodule, the doctor should be informed to perform diagnostic tests to identify the origin of the nodule.

See how to identify breast nodules early in: How to do breast self-examination.