Follow-up after breast lump evaluation

If the breast lump isn't cancer, a healthcare professional decides if you need to have breast exams more often or repeat breast imaging within the year to look for other changes on the mammogram. Your healthcare professional may ask you to return in 2 to 3 months to see if there are changes in your breast.

Tell your healthcare professional if you see changes in the lump or get new areas of concern. Even if you had a recent mammogram that looked OK, have your healthcare professional look at any new breast changes.

If it's not clear whether the breast lump is cancer, you may need to see a surgeon or other specialist. A diagnosis might not be clear, for instance, when a clinical breast exam and a mammogram show areas of concern but the biopsy shows no cancer.

A breast lump that's cancer needs treatment. Treatment depends on the tumor type and other factors.