With all this talk about examining your breasts regularly, what do you do when you find a lump? The first thing is not to panic — most breast lumps are harmless.

If you have found the lump just before your period, wait — it will often go away during or after your period has finished. If the lump is still there a week after your period has finished, then see your doctor immediately.

Breast tumours in young women can be aggressive — so don't delay. Early detection and diagnosis are the key to the best treatment.

Your doctor will examine you manually and may refer you for a mammogram or ultrasound.

What will these tests show?

An ultrasound will show if the lump is filled with fluid — a cyst — which is usually benign.

A mammogram is a special type of X-ray which can pick up small areas with calcium deposits which may indicate cancer in certain cases, and can show other lumps. It can also pick up benign breast lumps, called fibroadenomas, which are a combination of fibrous and glandular tissue and are most often found in young women.

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding then you need to find someone who has experience of dealing with lumps in pregnant and nursing women.

Your specialist will then have several options, depending on the results. He or she may advise what is called watchful waiting. This means that the lump seems to be benign, but that you should keep an eye on it and be re-examined in time; or you may be referred for fine needle aspiration or biopsy.

What is fine needle aspiration?

The lump is located and a fine needle is inserted into it to remove fluid in the case of a cyst. This is usually relatively painless.

The fluid which is retrieved from the cyst is then examined. If it is not blood stained and the lump disappears entirely after the aspiration, it is usually not a cancer. If there is any blood or some of the lump remains after the aspiration, then this could be a sign of cancer. The fluid removed from the lump can be examined for cancerous cells, and you may need a biopsy as well.

What is a biopsy?

A biopsy is a procedure to remove cells from the body for examination and diagnosis.

If a cancer is suspected, then a larger piece of tissue — rather than just a few cells — is removed from the lump, since a malignant tumour may also contain non-cancerous cells. These cells are then sent to the lab for diagnosis.

You may also have the whole lump removed surgically and examined.

It's malignant — what now?

When breast cancer is diagnosed the next course of action depends on several things. There are many different types of treatment available, all of which depend on your own health, the type of tumour you have and whether or not it has spread at the time of diagnosis.

There are various types of mastectomy and lumpectomy and there is a wide variety of radio- and chemotherapy, depending on your particular circumstances.

You do have time to make a decision and discuss all options with your specialist, or even get a second opinion. This is not a medical emergency, and taking the time to make the right decision will not influence the outcome of your disease, but can make a big difference to how you feel and how your subsequent treatment goes.