How can the doctor tell the difference between a breast cyst and a tumor?

My mom's been having pain in her breasts for a long time, and about six months ago a big red bulge showed up on her breast.


The doctor dismissed it as a cyst and didn't do anything.


The redness disappeared, but last week she noticed a lump in her breast, and the doctor finally admitted that it was a little off.








She's been referred to a clinic for a mammogram, but I'm still curious as to how they can tell.


I'm kind of worried.|||I'm a doctor. Generally, we can tell based on a physical exam. That is the key. However, despite a relatively normal feeling cyst, some women may go on to develop cancer. Another important factor is the interview with your mom. For instance, if the size and pain vary with her menstrual cycle, or with diet (caffeine, smoking makes it worse)...then it is most likely a cyst (called a fibrocystic disease), however if it is persistent, with persistent increase in size and changes on the skin (redness, retracting skin) then it is exhibiting features that would be more concerning. In that case, I generally get an ultrasound of the breast (in a younger woman b/c it's a better test) and in an older woman I get a mammogram.





You should just wait until you get the results of the test back. I wish your mom the best!|||I'm not a doctor, but any doctor who dismisses things that can be this serious should be fired. So first get a new doctor.


Second, I got a nodule (lump/growth/ however you want to call it) on my thyroid. Because it could have been a tumor, I first got a sonogram. It only confirmed the lump, which my doc had felt during an exam. Then he did something with a needle, I forgot what it's called, to get cells from my lump and checked the blood and other things he extracted for cancer.


The mammogram should help them know what's going on. If not, they can do further testing. Don't worry, they will know. But you and your mom need to be active patients and insist until you get what you want.