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Noncancerous Breast Conditions
Benign (noncancerous) breast conditions are very common, and most women will have them at some point in their lives. These conditions are not life-threatening and may not need treatment unless symptoms are bothersome, although some are linked with a higher risk of breast cancer.
About noncancerous breast conditions
Most breast changes are benign. Unlike breast cancers, benign breast conditions are not life-threatening. But some are linked with a higher risk of getting breast cancer in the future.
Some benign breast changes may cause signs or symptoms, such as breast pain, lumps, or nipple discharge. Other changes might be found during a mammogram. In either case, some changes can be hard to tell apart from breast cancer. Your health care team may need to do other exams or tests to make a clear diagnosis.
Other breast changes that are not cancer
Many other types of benign masses and changes can be found in the breast. None of these conditions raise breast cancer risk. However, your health care team may need to take a small sample of the tissue to make sure it doesn’t have any cancer cells and to make a diagnosis. This is called a biopsy.
Other breast changes that are not cancer include:
- Lipoma: a fatty tumor that can appear almost anywhere in the body, including the breast. It is usually not painful.
- Hamartoma: a smooth, painless lump formed by the overgrowth of mature breast cells, which can be made up of fatty, fibrous, or gland tissues
- Hemangioma: a rare tumor made up of blood vessels
- Hematoma: a collection of blood within the breast caused by internal bleeding, often due to injury
- Neurofibroma: a tumor made up of nerve cells
- Granular cell tumor: a tumor that starts in early forms of Schwann cells, which normally surround and help protect nerve cells. These tumors rarely occur in the breast.
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- References
Developed by the American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team with medical review and contribution by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
American Society of Breast Surgeons. Resource Guide: Surgical Management of Benign or High-Risk Lesions. 2024. Accessed at https://www.breastsurgeons.org/docs/statements/asbrs-high-risk-lesions.pdf on March 13, 2026.
Amir RA, Sheikh SS. Breast hamartoma: A report of 14 cases of an under-recognized and under-reported entity. Int J Surg Case Rep. 2016;22:1-4.
Collins LC, Schnitt SJ. Chapter 9: Pathology of benign breast disorders. In: Harris JR, Lippman ME, Morrow M, Osborne CK, eds. Diseases of the Breast. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2014.
Lv M, Zhu X, Zhong S, et al. Radial scars and subsequent breast cancer risk: A meta-analysis. PLoS ONE. 2014:9(7):e102503.
Matrai C, D'Alfonso TM, Pharmer L, et al. Advocating nonsurgical management of patients with small, incidental radial scars at the time of needle core biopsy: A study of 77 cases. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2015;139:1137-1142.
Orr B, Kelley JL. Benign breast diseases: Evaluation and management. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 2016;59(4):710-726.
Sabel MS. Overview of benign breast diseases. UpToDate. 2026. Accessed at https://www.uptodate.com/contents/overview-of-benign-breast-diseases on March 13, 2026.
Last Revised: May 26, 2026
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