Breast lump removal The female breast is composed mainly of
fatty tissue interspersed with fibrous or connective tissue. The
circular region around the nipple is often a different color or
pigmented. This region is called the areola. Early detection of
a breast lump is very important to a patient's prognosis
(probable outcome). Most breast lumps are not diagnosed at the
doctor's office, they are detected by women who give themselves
breast self-examinations at home. Any breast lump that persists
beyond a few days must be reported to a physician. In some
cases, a needle aspiration of a breast lump can be performed. If
the tissue obtained is clearly not cancerous, if no blood was
seen on the aspirate, and if the lump disappears after
aspiration and does not recur, physicians will often simply
observe patients. Otherwise, the breast lump must be removed
surgically to determine if cancer is present. A breast lump may
either be a cyst filled with fluid or a solid mass of tissue. A
sample of the breast tissue (biop