You Found a Lump. Now What?

Discovering something odd in your breast is scary. But knowing exactly what to do can help you feel empowered. This personal step-by-step guide will whittle your fear down to size.

First, breathe...
Just because something different is happening in your breast does not mean you have cancer. There's a more than 80 percent chance, in fact, that the lump is benign. Still, you have to make sure, and the first step is to take some pictures, most likely in one or more of the following ways.

Mammogram
Having your breast squished between two plates and X-rayed isn't exactly pleasant, but it's nothing to dread. The technician will shoot from various angles – getting a clear view of the mass isn't always easy. About 70 percent of the time, your mammogram will need to be redone or followed up with an ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for an accurate diagnosis. Either way, you may get your X-ray results the same day.

Ultrasound
No painful boob smashing required! Doctors use this high-frequency sound wave test on women with dense breast tissue and/or to evaluate an unclear mammogram. The technician will squirt some gel on your breast and run a wandlike device over the area in question. You'll have results within a few days, if not sooner.

MRI
In some cases, your doctor may choose to follow your mammogram or ultrasound with an MRI, which creates a 3-D picture of your breast. You will be injected with an intravenous dye, which helps highlight any abnormalities. You'll lie facedown on a table that has a hole cut out for your breast. The technician will then slide you into a tube, where you'll stay still for half an hour while the machine buzzes around you. Bring earplugs, and if you're the least bit claustrophobic, ask ahead of time for a mild sedative.

Next, your doc takes a sample.

Whenever a cancerous condition is possible, your physician will often recommend a biopsy. Repeat after us: A biopsy doesn't mean it's cancer. But removing some tissue so it can be evaluated under a microscope is the only way to be certain. Breast biopsies rarely require an overnight hospital stay, and most are done with a local anesthetic. Depending on the size and location of the lump, doctors perform one of the three procedures:

Fine-needle biopsy
This test is often done when a lump can be felt but not seen on film. Your doctor will insert a thin needle. You'll feel pressure but not pain. If the mass is squishy it's most likely a cyst, which she will drain. If it's firm, she'll insert the needle several times to extract samples.

Core-needle biopsy biopsy
You'll probably have this procedure if your doctor suspects the lump is solid. Guided by a mammogram or ultrasound, your doctor will use a needle attached to a mechanical device to take three tissue samples from the lump. Be ready for a tugging sensation and a loud noise. (You may lie facedown on one of those special breast tables.) It could take as little as 20 minutes, but you'll be sore after, so plan on taking it easy.

And then you wait…

Almost every woman who's gotten to this point says the waiting is the hardest part. Your sample needs to be sent to a lab, so it may be a few days before you receive results. Do what it takes to get through this time – surround yourself with positive people, rent funny movies, have your nails done, go shopping. You may not be completely able to stop your mind from cartwheeling, but at least you can distract yourself for a bit.

With knowledge comes action.

Four out of five women will learn their lumps are nothing serious. But those who are the one in five still have plenty to be positive about. An amazing 97 percent of women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer beat it. We'll take those odds any day. If it's cancer, a few more tests (X-rays, bone scans and blood work) will be needed before it's time to discuss treatment options.

Treatment usually doesn't have to start immediately, so take a couple of weeks to do research, get second and third opinions and consider all options. Treatment plans vary according to the size and type of tumor, but typically they include some combo of the following.

Surgery
The size and location of the tumor often determine whether a doctor recommends a lumpectomy or a mastectomy. A lumpectomy sometimes requires no overnight hospital stay, though recovery takes a week. A mastectomy requires an overnight stay and about two weeks' recovery at home. Both are equally successful for early cancers.

Radiation
Most women who choose to have lumpectomies also have about six weeks of radiation to zap any stray cancer cells. (Mastectomy patients can often skip it because all potentially risky tissue is taken out.) Tiny tattoos mark the areas to be treated. Sessions are typically 15 minutes every weekday. You won't feel a thing at first, but fatigue and skin redness can develop. (Try Aquaphor Healing Ointment, $5, to soothe skin.)

Chemotherapy
Chemo is generally recommended for any woman with a tumor that is 1 centimeter or greater (stage I and higher). Most people lose their hair and feel pretty tired and sick, particularly right after their treatments. But everyone reacts differently – and some people are spared these side effects. Plus, there are many new medications that can help keep energy up and nausea at bay. For more info, visit Breastcancer.org.

OUR SOURCES Julie Gralow, M.D., associate professor of medical oncology at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle; Clifford A. Hudis, M.D., chief of breast cancer medicine service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City; Katherine Lee, M.D., staff physician, Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

From:Yahoo Health