Not sure of your age 1st of all but fibroid cysts are very common. I am 34 and never noticed these until this past year & I did self examines. I felt 1 mass that did not change over the course of 3 months - did not get smaller or bigger. My primary MD was not concerned but did schedule a mammagram to make sure. Nothing showed on the mammagram. I had my yearly with my OB/GYN and he felt the lump as well - he listened to me and my concerns and told me not to tell him where I felt the lump. He instantly found it and scheduled me to see a surgeon for a 2nd/3rd opinion. Both the surgeon and my GYN agreed that this was something that had not been there before and although they were 90% sure it was nothing decided to remove it. It was a outpatient 1/2 hour thing with only a couple stitches afterwards. Thank god it turned out to be benign and considered a fibroid mass but I always thought what if, and why leave it in me if it has not decreased in size?
Copied over from another site:
Generalized breast lumpiness, also called fibrocystic breast changes or benign (noncancerous) breast disease, is a common breast condition. Generalized breast lumpiness tends to become more noticeable before a menstrual period and can often be felt in both breasts around the nipple and in the upper, outer part of the breasts.
Generalized breast lumpiness occurs most often in women ages 35 to 50.
And
In 1995, every woman over thirty should be aware that she's living through a breast cancer epidemic, due in part to the fact that not enough women breastfeed (which reduces the risk of breast cancer). So if you've never performed BSE before, get into the habit today. Now. BSE is not about finding breast cancer; it's about getting to know your breasts. Whether you're breastfeeding or not, your pregnancy has brought about tremendous changes in your breasts. Unless you know what your breasts normally feel like, and which lumps and bumps are just you and which are not, you won't be able to recognize a suspicious breast lump.
BSE involves a specific routine of feeling your breast at around the same time each month (preferably just after you've menstruated). That way you may be able to distinguish suspicious lumps from milk cysts, enlarged lymph nodes, and so on. In addition, you can't know if a lump is suspicious and has remained "unchanged" unless you've been checking your breasts regularly. While ideally you should begin BSE by the age of twenty, starting nowhowever old you areis just fine. When breastfeeding, perform BSE on a monthly basis after feeding, when your breasts aren't filled with milk. When your menstrual cycle returns, the BSE will be most effective right after your period, when your baby has just fed. It's at this time that your breasts are least tender and lumpy and you won't be mistaking PMS tenderness and lumpiness for anything suspicious. Make sure your doctor goes over the following steps with you:
Visually inspect your breasts. Stand in front of the mirror and look closely at your breasts. You're looking for dimpling, puckering (like an orange peel in appearance), or noticeable lumps (which you can't often see). Do you see any unusual discharge that dribbles out on its own or bleeding from the nipple? Any funny dry patches on the nipple (which may be Paget's disease)?
Visually inspect your breasts with your arms raised. Now, still in front of the mirror, raise your arms over your head and look for the same things. Raising your arms smoothes out the breast a little more so that these changes are more obvious.
Palpation (feeling your breast). Lie down on your bed with a pillow under your left shoulder and place your left hand under your head. With the flat part of the finger tips of your right hand, examine your left breast for a lump, using a gentle circular motion. Imagine that the breast is a clock, and make sure you feel each "hour," as well as the nipple area and armpit area.
Repeat step 3, but reverse sides, examining your right breast with your left hand.
If you find a lump
note the size, shape, and how painless it is. A suspicious lump is usually painless, about ¼½ inch in size, and remains unchanged from month to month. Get your lump looked at as soon as you can, or if you're comfortable doing so, wait for one month. If the lump changes in the next month by shrinking or becoming painful, it's not cancerous but should be looked at anyway. If the suspicious lump stays the same, definitely get it looked at as soon as possible. Keep in mind that breast cysts are common, variable in size, and occasionally tender.
If discharge other than breast milk oozes out of your nipple on its own, or if blood comes out
see your doctor immediately. Don't wait.
If your nipple is dry and patchy
see your doctor immediately. Don't wait.
For the record, 90 percent of all breast cancers are picked up by women themselves, either accidentally or through BSE. At all times of your life (particularly when your breasts are continually changing as a result of pregnancy and breastfeeding), BSE should become a monthly ritual. As you wean and your breasts decrease in fullness, or perhaps prepare for yet another pregnancy, breast changes will mean that you need to constantly familiarize yourself with them. If you haven't delivered yet or are planning another child, continue your BSE throughout all stages of your pregnancy. You can get breast cancer while you're pregnant.
