Breast Lump: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

Most breast lumps are noncancerous, which means they are benign. You might be surprised to find a breast lump, but it’s important to remember that it may not affect your long-term health.

However, a breast lump can be a sign of cancer. It’s wise to always seek a medical evaluation of any lumps or swelling you discover on your breasts.

Although breasts are commonly associated with women, breast tissue is present in both men and women. Your hormones affect this tissue. Hormonal changes can cause lumps to form and, in some cases, to naturally disappear. You can develop breast lumps at any age.

Some babies develop breast lumps due to the estrogen they get from their mothers during birth. These generally clear up as the estrogen leaves their bodies.

Pre-pubescent girls sometimes get breast lumps that feel tender. These usually go away naturally during puberty. Adolescent boys can also get breast lumps during puberty. These are temporary and usually disappear in a few months as well.

Causes of Breast Lumps

There are many possible causes for a lump in your breast, including:

breast cysts, which are soft, fluid-filled sacs
milk cysts, referring to sacs filled with milk
that can occur during breast-feeding
fibrocystic breasts, a condition in which breast
tissue feels lumpy in texture and is sometimes accompanied by pain
fibroadenoma, meaning noncancerous rubbery lumps
that move easily within the breast tissue and rarely become cancerous
hamartoma, which is a benign, tumorlike growth
intraductal papilloma, referring to a small,
non-cancerous tumor in a milk duct
lipoma, which is a slow-growing, noncancerous,
fatty lump
mastitis, or an infection of the breast
injury
breast cancer

How Your Breasts Should Feel

Breast tissue varies in consistency, with the upper-outer part of your breast being firm and the inner-lower parts feeling somewhat softer. If you are a woman, your breasts can become more tender or lumpy during your menstrual cycle. Breasts tend to get less dense as you get older.

It is important to be familiar with how your breasts normally feel so you are aware of changes. But keep in mind that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force does not recommend that your doctor teach you how to examine your breasts on your own. That’s because there’s little evidence that breast self-examination reduces the risk of dying from breast cancer. In fact, breast self-examination may cause harm because you’re more likely to find a noncancerous lump, which could be a source of worry. In some cases, this may lead to unnecessary medical procedures to ensure that the lump is benign.

Instead of performing breast self-examination, most experts recommend that women simply be aware of what their breasts normally look and feel like. For example, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that women practice breast self-awareness. You should report any changes or concerns to your doctor.

Signs You Should See a Doctor

Remember, most breast lumps are noncancerous. However, you should make an appointment to see your doctor if:

you discover a new lump an area of your breast is noticeably different than the rest.
a lump does not go away after menstruation..
a lump changes or grows larger
your breast is bruised for no apparent reason
the skin of your breast is red or begins to
pucker like an orange peel.
you have an inverted nipple (if it was not
always inverted).
you notice bloody discharge from the nipple.

What to Expect at Your Doctor Visit

When you visit your doctor to report a breast lump, they will probably ask you questions about when you discovered the lump, and if you have any other symptoms. They will also perform a physical exam of the breasts.

If your doctor cannot identify the cause of the lump, additional testing may be ordered.

Mammogram

A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast that helps identify breast abnormalities. A diagnostic mammogram can be compared to previous screening mammograms, if available, to see how the breast tissue has changed.

Ultrasound

An ultrasound is a noninvasive, painless procedure that uses sound waves to produce images of your breast.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

This test uses a magnetic field and radio waves to take detailed pictures of your breast.

Fine-Needle Aspiration

Fluid from a breast lump can be removed with a needle. In some cases, an ultrasound is used to guide the needle. Noncancerous cysts go away when the fluid is removed. If the fluid is bloody or cloudy, the sample will be analyzed by a laboratory for cancer cells.

Biopsy

This is a procedure to remove a sample of tissue for analysis under a microscope. There are several types of breast biopsy:

fine-needle aspiration biopsy—a tissue
sample is taken during a fine-needle aspiration
core needle biopsy—uses an ultrasound for
guidance; a larger needle is used to get a tissue sample
vacuum-assisted biopsy—a probe with a
vacuum is inserted into a small incision in the skin and a tissue sample is
removed using an ultrasound for guidance
stereotactic biopsy—a mammogram takes
images from different angles and a tissue sample is taken with a needle
surgical biopsy (excisional biopsy)—the
whole breast lump, along with surrounding tissue, is removed
surgical biopsy (incisional biopsy)—only
part of the lump is removed

Treatment for Breast Lumps

Your doctor must determine the cause of your breast lump before he or she can formulate a treatment plan. Not all breast lumps will need treatment.

If you have a breast infection, your doctor will probably prescribe antibiotics to treat it. If you have a cyst, it can be drained of fluids. Usually, cysts go away after they’re drained. In some cases, cysts do not need to be treated and may disappear on their own.

If the lump is found to be breast cancer, treatment can include.

lumpectomy, or removing the lump
mastectomy, which refers to removing your breast
tissue
chemotherapy, which uses drugs to fight or
destroy the cancer
radiation, a treatment that uses radioactive
rays or materials to fight the cancer

Your treatment will depend on the type of breast cancer you have, the size and location of the tumor, and whether the cancer has spread beyond your breast.
There are other causes of breast lumps which do not require any treatment. If you have a breast lump due to an injury, your doctor may recommend allowing your breast time to heal. Some types of breast lump, such as fibroadenoma, in many cases do not need to be removed or treated at all. That’s why it’s important not to jump to conclusions if you find a breast lump. Your doctor can help determine if the lump requires further testing and if any treatment is needed.

BREAKING: Gov Ben Ayade dumps PDP for APC

Governor Ben Ayade of Cross Rivers State on Thursday dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC). 

Ayade’s CPS, Christian Ita confirmed the development to TrackNews Online.

He said the Governor made his defection known in a meeting with six APC governors who visited him at the Government House.

Details later…

Open grazing ban in South irreversible, Akeredolu replies Malami

The Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, has tackled the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Shehu Malami, for faulting the ban placed on open grazing in the Southern part of the country.

The Southern Governors had at a meeting in Asaba last week banned open grazing and asked the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to address the nation over the increasing rate of insecurity in the country.

However, Malami who appeared as a guest on Channels Television on Wednesday faulted the ban, arguing that the governor had no right to do that.

Akeredolu, who is the Chairman of Southern Governors’ Forum, spoke in a statement he personally signed on Thursday, titled, ‘Our decision is irreversible and will be enforced’.

He asked the AGF to challenge the governor’s position on open grazing in court, adding that Malami’s comments were “unfortunate and wicked”.

Part of the statement read, “I have just read the press statement credited to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Shehu Malami SAN on the resolution of the Southern Governors Forum to ban open grazing in their respective States.

“The AGF is quoted to have said that this reasoned decision, among others, is akin to banning all spare parts dealers in the Northern parts of the country and is unconstitutional.

“It is most unfortunate that the AGF is unable to distill issues as expected of a Senior Advocate. Nothing can be more disconcerting. This outburst should, ordinarily, not elicit response from reasonable people who know the distinction between a legitimate business that is not in anyway injurious and a certain predilection for anarchy.

“Clinging to an anachronistic model of animal husbandry, which is evidently injurious to harmonious relationship between the herders and the farmers as well as the local populace, is wicked and arrogant.

“Comparing this anachronism, which has led to loss of lives, farmlands and property, and engendered untold hardship on the host communities, with buying and selling of auto parts is not only strange. It, annoyingly, betrays a terrible mindset.

Mr Malami is advised to approach the court to challenge the legality of the Laws of the respective States baning open grazing and decision of the Southern Governor Forum taken in the interest of their people. We shall be most willing to meet him in Court.

The decision to ban open grazing stays. It will be enforced with vigour.”

Nigeria Governors Okay Full Deregulation of Petrol, Over 100% Price Hike to N385

Ahead of Thursday’s Federation Accounts Allocations Committee (FAAC) meeting, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) on Wednesday at its virtual meeting considered the report of a committee headed by Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, and accepted its recommendation that backs full deregulation of petrol, and suggests that the pump price of the product should hover around N385 per litre.

The committee also recommended that the federal government should buy 113 buses to cushion the effects of the price increase, a reliable source at the meeting told THISDAY.

el-Rufai’s six-man committee was set up early this year by the National Economic Council (NEC) headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to look into the dwindling revenues of states and make recommendations to the council.

Apart from el-Rufai, Governors Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State; and David Umahi of Ebonyi State are also members of the committee.

The other members of the committee are the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, and the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mallam Mele Kyari.

The four governours, who are members of the committee, presented its report to their colleagues, who endorsed it.

The report is subject to final approval by NEC, which will also meet today.

However, in a communiqué released after the meeting last night, the governors disclosed that el-Rufai gave a briefing on the appropriate pricing of petrol in Nigeria, where he called for full deregulation.

According to the communiqué, the Kaduna State governor further revealed that between N70 billion and N210 Billion is spent monthly to subsidise the petrol price at N162 per litre.

The committee identified Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Rivers and Abuja as the top consumers of petrol.

Presenting the report to his colleagues, el-Rufai reportedly said the increase in the price of petrol to N385 per litre would help stem the increasing smuggling of the product to neighbouring countries.

According to him, if petrol sells at N385 per litre, FAAC would gain between N1.3 trillion and N2. 2.3 trillion per annum.

The committee also recommended that the federal government should sell the three refineries after rehabilitation.

The report revealed that Nigeria lost billions of dollars due to the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that there is already a cash crunch in the states.

NNPC had said that it would remit zero allocation to FAAC due to the huge cost of subsidising petrol.

Some of the governors at the meeting opposed the recommendations, insisting that they will create more hardship for Nigerians.

Contributing to the report, a South-west governor said that it would be very difficult to convince Nigerians and labour to accept the report.

But other governors insisted that the earlier there is full deregulation, the better for the country as it remains an evil day postponed.

The committee recommended that the federal government should buy and distribute over 113 buses to states and major cities as a palliative to the proposed increase in the price of petrol.

Banning open grazing is like banning sale of spare parts — Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami

Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami has said that banning of open grazing in the Southern region of the country is same thing as prohibition of spare parts trading in the North.

Malami made the claim in an interview on Channels Television on Wednesday May 19. The AGF insisted that the ban of open grazing and movement of cattle by foot by Southern governors after a meeting in Asaba, does not align with the provisions of the constitution.

He said; 

“It is about constitutionality within the context of the freedoms expressed in our constitution. Can you deny the rights of a Nigerian?

“For example: it is as good as saying, perhaps, maybe, the northern governors coming together to say they prohibit spare parts trading in the north.

“Does it hold water? Does it hold water for a northern governor to come and state expressly that he now prohibits spare parts trading in the north?”

Malami also told Southern Governors to facilitate the amendment of the 1999 constitution to prohibit open grazing.

He added; 

“If you are talking of constitutionally guaranteed rights, the better approach to it is to perhaps go back to ensure the constitution is amended. 

“Freedom and liberty of movement among others established by the constitution, if by an inch you want to have any compromise over it, the better approach is go back to the national assembly to say open grazing should be prohibited and see whether you can have the desired support for the constitutional amendment.

“It is a dangerous provision for any governor in Nigeria to think he can bring any compromise on the freedom and liberty of individuals to move around.” 

Culled from Linda Ikeji 

 

NIS establishes taskforce to clear passport backlogs in Lagos State – Official

The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) says it will set up a task force for the clearance of the backlog of passports in the three passport offices in Lagos State.

Mr Sunday Fagbamigbe, the Controller of Passport Command in the state, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday.

Fagbamigbe was reacting to the new May 31 deadline given by the Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, for the clearance of passports’ backlog.

NAN reports that the NIS in recent times had faced challenges in passport issuance because of a shortage of passport booklets both at home and abroad.

According to Fagbamigbe, the command’s task force will work to ensure that all accrued passport applications in the three passports offices located at Ikoyi, Festac Town and Ikeja are cleared.

The controller said that the task force would start monitoring its enforcement and implementation from May 21, so as to record a landmark success in Lagos State.

“This is to showcase the good intentions and the determination of the Controller-General of Immigration Service (CGIS), Mr Mohammed Babandede, to serve Nigerians.

“The directive on the suspension of processing of new passport applications is also to enhance passport offices’ clearance of the backlog of passports.

“I hail the new directive by the NIS on the suspension of processing of new passport applications as supported by the Ministry of Interior.

“The Lagos Passport Command taskforce will work relentlessly,’’ Fagbamigbe said, adding that the enforcement would begin from the Passport office at Ikoyi.

NAN reports that the Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, at a Webinar organised by Nigeria in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), had given May 31 as the deadline for all passport offices to clear all backlogs of passport applications.

Woman celebrates living with HIV for 22 years

A beautiful South African woman has taken to Twitter to celebrate her life after testing positive for HIV 22 years ago. 

Sharing a beautiful photo of herself, @MMancobeni captioned it; 

22 years living with HIV and still kicking I'm Thee Girl

 

Unidentified man reportedly slumps, dies while jogging in Aba

An unidentified man reportedly slumped and died while jogging at Brass Junction in Aba, Abia State.
 

According to a staff nurse, Chioma Ofuche, who shared the photos on Sunday, March 16, the young man was brought to her hospital were he was confirmed dead. No form of identification was found on him. 

 

"Attention Attention Attention!!! This guy here was brought to my hospital this morning by some groups of boys they said he slumped at brass junction while hugging by the time he was brought to the hospital he was already dead now no identify please if this post get to your forward it to other people for clam's the body is still at brass junction now" she wrote.

Driver shot dead as gunmen abduct 13 passengers in Nasarawa

A driver identified as Adamu Usman has been confirmed dead after being shot by gunmen who abducted 13 passengers along Shafa-Abakpa -Umaisha road in Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

Usman was shot thrice on the abdomen and died while being treated at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital on Tuesday night.

Another driver, Ibrahim Saidu who recounted how the incident occurred told Daily Trust that it took place around 5pm.

He said the vehicles which were conveying passengers from Ugya to Abaji and Toto town, said they were attacked by kidnappers who emerged from the bush in large numbers. Saidu said the kidnappers surrounded the vehicles after the driver lost control and whisked away 13 passengers. 

The driver said; 

“In fact, I was driving behind the four vehicles in front of me, but it was God that saved when I stopped at one of the village to pick a passenger. As I was coming, I heard gunshot and immediately made a U-turn."

Iniubong Umoren: Third suspect shielded, slain job seeker’s sister raises alarm

Miss Ifiok Umoren, the elder sister to the slain job seeker, Iniubong Umoren, has raised the alarm over an alleged shielding of the third suspect, Emem Emmanuel, who was allegedly instrumental to the death of her sibling.

The Akwa Ibom State police Command had on Friday last week paraded two suspects who were Uduak Akpan and his father, Mr Frank Akpan over their alleged involvement in the murder case of Umoren at the force headquarters, Ikot Akpabia, Uyo.

But, Ifiok became worried that Emmanuel who according to her, began the process of luring her sister through his Twitter handle was not paraded alongside other two suspects at the police station.

She said Emmanuel was the person who invited her sister through his Twitter handle, adding that the suspect after giving the sister hope over the phone, dropped Uduak Akpan’s number for her to call.

“The suspects that was arrested were three but they paraded only two which I have asked why they did not parade the third person, they said that there is an investigation that is ongoing now and they are yet to confirm the third person if he was part of them.

“I now told them that even if they are yet to do the confirmation, they do not have the final say and that it is the court who has the final say over all the suspects.

“Emem Emmanuel was the person who twitted that he has a job to give to my sister and he later dropped Uduak Akpan’s number to my sister. But, after my sister was killed and the incident became public, he went and deleted all the Twitter messages he sent to my sister,” she alleged.

Ifiok debunked the allegation that she had collected money over the death of her sister, stressing that she is only demanding for justice and that no amount of money from anybody could compensate the loss of her sister which she suffered to train in school.

According to her, “There is no amount of money that anyone can give me that will be enough for the death of my sister. I can never ever collect any money from anybody over the death of my sister, the only thing I am working so hard everyday for is how to get justice for my sister.

“The only issue that seems as if things are not working is that judiciary is on strike. Once they are back everything will now commence legal proceedings over the matter.

“I have not collected any money from anybody. I sent my sister to school while earning 25,000 naira as salary, I had suffered for her but now I do not achieve anything and it is painful to me. What kind of money can someone give to me to be equated to the loss of my sister?”

She further accused the suspect of trying to hypnotise her with charm when she visited anti-kidnaping unit where he was first taken to, adding he was blocked by a nearby policeman who was there.