Is presence of painful lump in armpit & breast predictive of Breast Cancer? – Dr. Nanda Rajaneesh

Presence of lump in axilla always does not mean it is cancer. If there is a lump in the breast and axilla that means the lump in the breast has spread to the axilla. Breast cancer can isolately present as a lump in the axilla. Most commonly it is because of fatty tissue or accessory breast in the axilla which is very common in women. Because the milk ducts extends from the axilla to the abdomen the milk ducts disappear in many areas except in the axilla and the nipple area. Some women will have some residual milk ducts left in the axilla which leads to a lump in the axilla. Specially during breast feeding they can increase in size. Biggest problem with accessory breast is cosmetic reasons. Sometimes they can get very painful and tender and can get infected. Other lumps are lymph nodes in the axilla which can be infected and very painful and they can cause severe pain and they can also increase in size. The lump in the axilla in the presence of breast cancer can also be very painful. If they become bid they infiltrate the nerves around the axilla, lead to severe pain. Lumps can also be because of any increased lymph nodes in the axilla. There are many groups of lymph nodes in the axilla. Any nodal disease that we see in different parts of the body can come in the axillary nodes also. Whenever there is an enlargement of axillary lymph nodes alone you have to take biopsy or further evaluate it to find out diseases like tuberculosis, tubercular lymphadenitis as we call it or lymphoma of the lymph nodes in the axilla or any pyogenic infection in the axillary nodes.