Is It a Simple Breast Cyst or a Tumor?

Is your breast pain a result of a cyst or a tumor?

Many women cannot differentiate whether the lump is something worrisome or not. It's important to seek the opinion of your doctor who can refer you to imaging.

According to Falguni Patel, D.O., a board certified radiologist with The Tyanna O’Brien Center for Women’s Imaging at Mercy, if it's a cyst, which is filled with a watery fluid, they leave it alone. It's not cancer and it will go away on its own.

"If it's a solid tumor, we biopsy it to determine if it's cancer or non-cancerous. If it's non-cancerous or benign, we leave it alone because they don't spread to other parts of the body. But if they get big, they will offer an excision, which is removal by a surgeon," Dr. Patel said.

If it is a cancerous growth, the patient would be referred to a surgeon who, along with other specialists, would decide what kind of treatment is required.

To view Mercy radiologist Dr. Falguni Patel’s interview regarding the differences between simple breast cysts and cancerous tumors, click here.