Can a small, hard, painful breast lump be surgically removed before it gets cancerous?

Question

Hello doctor,

My grandmother died two years ago due to breast cancer. It went unnoticed and my mother did not have any symptoms regarding the same. She is afraid that I might get breast cancer and I have a small lump in my left breast, which is painful, so even I am worried. My age is 29 and mostly I did not feel the pain. It is hard and painful to touch. When I visited the gynecologist, she said the lump is small, so it needs to be screened every six months for any changes. My doubt is can I get it surgically removed before it turns cancerous? Or what is the chance of it turning cancerous? Am I in danger? Or can I prevent cancer by following a certain lifestyle?

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

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I have gone through your case and I understand your concern. You should regularly examine your breast by yourself and see if there are any changes, then compare both breasts. The lump you have could be fat, and it would not turn into malignancy. But you should do regular checkups every 6 to 12 months interval. Yes, that lump can be surgically removed only if needed. You should maintain your weight within BMI (body mass index). Your cholesterol levels should be within normal limits and you should avoid smoking.

It was a pleasure to help you and I am looking forward to helping you further with your medical needs.

Thank you.