It is always best to have reassurance that things are fine, or the proper series of investigations and tests as soon as possible if your doctor agrees that there is cause for concern.  Medical professionals are well-trained in how to evaluate and assess breast lumps, and in particular in how to rule out breast cancer.  If in doubt, do not hesitate to ask for doctors advice. Breast cancer is a realistic concern for many women (being the number one most frequent cancer diagnosis in women).  One in nine women are diagnosed with breast cancer in their life, so if in doubt get your breast lump checked out by a doctor sooner rather than later. Most breast lumps are benign (not worrisome), and many cancer diagnoses are completely treatable if caught sooner rather than later. Keep in mind, however, that breast cancer under the age of 20 is very rare, and it is very uncommon under the age of 30. Do this on an annual basis or as prescribed by your doctor. This is a low-dose X-ray examination used for locating breast tissue abnormalities.  Mammograms are the number one way in which breast cancers are caught and diagnosed.  It can be used as a screening test (routine test for any woman over the age of 40 to rule out breast cancer even without symptoms or lumps), and also as a diagnostic test (for women with a breast lump to gather further information to determine whether or not the lump is of concern). For a young patient with dense breast tissue, however, an MRI may be a better test than mammogram. People who receive a mammogram for diagnostic reasons (to determine whether or not their breast lump is worrisome) will likely also receive additional tests to add to the information your doctor has to work with, to determine whether or not she is concerned about your breast lump. Ultrasound provides a different viewpoint of the breast than mammography, and can help to differentiate between solid and cystic masses (cystic masses are generally fluid-filled and not of concern; in other words, not cancerous). An ultrasound can also provide further information to see whether a biopsy (sample of the breast tissue taken with a needle and examined by doctors under the microscope) is needed. A sample of your breast tissue will be examined under a microscope, which can give a definite answer as to whether the lump is benign (non-worrisome) or malignant (cancerous).  If the lump is in fact diagnosed as breast cancer, you will be referred to an oncologist (cancer specialist) and perhaps a surgeon for surgical, hormonal, or chemotherapy treatments, depending upon the severity. Again, it is important to be aware that the great majority of breast lumps are not cancer;  however, it is always best to see your physician and to have the recommended tests done in order to rule out any possibility, and to get treatment as soon as possible (which results in the most successful outcomes) if you are in fact diagnosed with breast cancer. At times, a breast MRI or ductogram will be used as "diagnostic tests" by your doctor, but these are significantly less common than mammograms, ultrasounds, and breast biopsies. Oftentimes, if a breast lump is determined to be not particularly concerning, your doctor will ask that you continue to monitor it over time and to report back if there are any significant changes or growth. Most often there will not be, but it is always better to be safe rather than sorry and to continue paying attention to any lumps or different textures to your breast to see if these change or worsen with time (at which point a follow-up visit to your family doctor is recommended).
اتصلي بطبيبك إذا احترت بشأن ورم الثدي ودرجة خطورته. حددي موعدًا لتصوير الثدي الشعاعي. تابعي التقدم وأجري فحصًا للثدي بالموجات فوق الصوتية لفحص الورم أكثر إذا نصح الطبيب بذلك. اطلبي من الطبيب أخذ خزعة من ورم الثدي إذا عجزت نتائج الفحوص الأخرى عن استبعاد الإصابة بسرطان الثدي. اتبعي نصائح الطبيب.