Two of the most common causes of benign single breast lumps are cysts and fibroadenomas. There are also several other conditions that can present themselves as lumps, such as fat necrosis and sclerosing adenosine.

A surgical breast biopsy requires an incision in the skin. This allows your doctor to take a large sample of tissue from the breast. In fact, the whole lump is often removed. The sample is then sent to a lab for study.

The lymphatic system is part of the immune system and one of the ways cancer cells can travel to other parts of the body. It’s made up of lymph nodes and vessels that carry lymph fluid throughout the body.

A mastectomy is a surgical procedure in which all or a portion of a breast is removed as a part of treatment for breast cancer.

Surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible is the primary treatment for breast cancer.

Breast-conserving surgery may be used as a part of a treatment plan for breast cancer. During breast-conserving surgery, the cancerous lump and a portion of the breast tissue around the cancerous lump are removed. However, the breast itself remains intact.