What I’m about to say only applies if you’re a teenager…

Breast cancer is super rare in teens! Like SUPER rare. Not to say it doesn’t happen, but if you find a lump in your breast, it’s most likely due to fluctuations in your estrogen and progesterone. Specifically, hormone changes during puberty and during your menstrual cycle can cause something called fibrocystic changes in the breast tissue. How do you know if that’s what it is? Here are a couple of clues:

• There are multiple lumps.

• The location, size and/or number change depending on where you are in your menstrual cycle, and they may actually go away after your period.

• They may be tender.

• They can be wiggled or moved around.

There are a few other things that cause lumps in the teenage breast, specifically infections or clogged ducts. Signs include redness, tenderness or bloody/pus-like discharge from the nipple. If this sounds like what you have, warm compresses (simply a washcloth that has been soaked in warm water) can be applied a few times a day to help with drainage, but a visit to the doctor may also be necessary to provide antibiotics.

At the end of the day, what I’m telling you is to NOT PANIC. There are many things that can cause breast lumps in a teen, and the best way to figure out what it is is by visiting the doctor.