Any time you discover a new breast lump, you should always make an appointment with a health professional.

While waiting for your appointment, proceed with our Health Decision Guide. You will be asked a short series of questions and your answers will direct you to information most pertinent to you.

Breast lumps commonly occur in women, especially during their reproductive years, the years between puberty and menopause. When there are multiple small lumps, they are almost always benign.

While a single lump is a little more concerning, most lumps discovered no matter what your age are still more likely to be benign than malignant.

Click here to begin the guide.

Some changes in the breast are associated with a greater risk that the lump may be more serious.

Have you noticed any of the following changes in one or both of your breasts

• indentations in the shape or skin of your breast

• dimpling of the skin of your breast

• nipple retraction (your nipple looks like it is being pulled into the breast itself)?

Yes, I have noticed one or more of these changes.

No, I have not noticed any of these changes.

That's reassuring to know you have no skin dimpling, indentations or nipple retraction.

Many women occasionally notice a white milky nipple discharge from one or both breasts, even if they are not pregnant or breast feeding. In general, this is not worrisome as long as a woman otherwise feels well and continues to have normal menstrual periods. A red or rust colored discharge means blood is probably present and could be a sign of a more serious problem.

Have you noticed any bloody nipple discharge?

Yes, I have noticed a bloody nipple discharge.

No, I have not noticed a bloody nipple discharge.

It is reassuring that you do not have bloody nipple discharge.

The risk of breast cancer increases with age, especially after menopause.

Have you entered menopause and/or are you over age 50?

Yes, at least one of these is true for me.

No, neither of these is true for me.

A breast lump in a younger woman is less likely to be cancerous than one found in an older woman. But you still need to contact your doctor to discuss your symptoms and arrange an appointment.

Please consider the following questions:

• Has the lump you are concerned about grown over time?

• Is the lump in the same place every month?

• Is the lump present throughout your whole menstrual cycle?

Yes, at least one of these is true for me.

No, none of these are true for me.

You answer implies that you have one or more lumps that come and go and appear in different breast locations. This means the chance that a new lump is cancerous is quite small. This is especially true for lumps that show up only around the time of your menstrual period. Also these lumps are usually more swollen and painful around the time of menstruation.

Multiple lumps in both breasts usually indicate a condition called "fibrocystic changes" of the breasts, a common and noncancerous condition. Fibrocystic changes usually affect both breasts because the female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, cause breast tissue to swell and thicken around the time of menstruation. Some areas of the breasts will likely feel tenderer, firmer and more irregularly shaped than other areas.

To be certain, contact your doctor to discuss your symptoms and arrange to be seen.

A lump that persists in the same place every month, grows over time or remains present throughout the entire menstrual cycle raises the level of concern. Contact your doctor and arrange to be seen as soon as possible. Your doctor will perform a clinical breast exam. Based on the exam, several options may be considered:

• Arrange for tests like a mammogram and/or breast ultrasound.

• Arrange for a breast biopsy.

• Repeat clinical breast exam immediately after you finish your next menstrual period.

If you and your doctor opt for repeat examination only, you must follow through with this appointment.

Click here to learn about breast biopsy.

Contact your health care provider and arrange to be seen as soon as possible. Even though most lumps evaluated by doctors are not cancerous, the risk of breast cancer increases with age. All women over 50 who have a new breast lump should be evaluated.

Rust-colored or bloody nipple discharge can be from an infection, a benign (non-cancerous) growth within the ducts of the nipple, or from a breast cancer. Contact your doctor and arrange to be seen as soon as possible. Your health care provider will help sort out the cause and will advise you on what can be done to treat this problem.

Nipple retraction, indentations or dimpling in the skin can be caused by a growth or lump lying deeper in the tissue. Any one of these changes increases the chance that the lump is malignant

Contact your doctor and arrange to be seen as soon as possible. Your doctor will perform a clinical breast exam and probably

• arrange for additional testing such as a mammogram or ultrasound, and/or

• arrange for a breast biopsy.

Click here to learn about breast biopsy.

A breast biopsy is a sample of tissue taken directly from the breast. This can be done in the office by "fine-needle aspiration," where the doctor inserts a very thin needle into the lump and draws up a tissue sample into a syringe. It can also be done as outpatient surgery, where the surgeon either takes a small piece of the lump or completely removes the lump.

With both procedures, the tissue sample is sent to the lab to see if cancerous cells are present.