Lumps in my breasts?

Benign or malignant... I’m trying to wrap my head around the logic here. Why is it that people assume benign growths are the ones that actually hurt, while malignant ones supposedly don't? Is there an actual scientific explanation for this, or are we just relying on old wives' tales? Specifically, why do things like fatty lipomas or cysts cause such obvious pain?

Thanks

I wasn't quite sure where this belonged, but this thread felt like the best fit

A few days ago, I felt this massive—and I mean seriously huge, like the size of a walnut—lump on my right breast. 😢
Look, I know I need to see a doctor, and I fully intend to.
But honestly, I just had to say this out loud to get it off my chest because I am terrified. No one in my family has ever dealt with any breast issues, and while I know I shouldn't jump to the absolute worst-case scenario, I’ve always had this knack for attracting the worst kind of bad luck, so I’m spiraling a bit.

Back about two years ago, I had this nipple discharge—white, thick, greasy stuff—and my breasts were hurting like hell at the time. I went to my OBGYN, and she basically just brushed me off and told me to see an endocrinologist without even giving me a proper exam herself.
To quote her directly: "What are you even thinking? You aren't special, this happens to everyone, there's no point in running tests."
I told her straight up that this isn't normal for me, that I've never heard of anyone else dealing with this, that it hurts, and that I want a physical exam, an ultrasound, or whatever blood work needs to be done.
She just insisted, "You don't need an ultrasound or any labs, everything is perfectly fine and it'll pass."

So, okay, it passed. But now, every once in a while, that discharge just shows up again—maybe once every couple of months.

Sarah Taylor4 said:I wasn't quite sure where to drop this, but I figured this thread was my best bet. This topic felt like the right fit.

A few days ago, I felt this lump on my right breast. And when I say lump, I mean it’s massive—seriously, we’re talking walnut-sized here. It's pretty unsettling.😢
I know I need to see a doctor. And trust me, I intend to.
I just had to get this off my chest and vent, honestly. I’ve been sitting on this fear for a while now. None of my family members have ever dealt with any breast issues, and I know, I know—I shouldn't go jumping to the absolute worst-case scenarios. But if there's one thing I can count on in life, it's that I always seem to attract the most ridiculous, nightmare-inducing health scares. It's like I have a magnet for bad luck. So yeah, I'm terrified.

Two years ago, I dealt with this nipple discharge—it was white, thick, greasy stuff. My breasts were incredibly painful at the time, too. So, naturally, I went to my OB-GYN. Instead of actually doing her job, she just brushed me off and sent me straight to an endocrinologist without even performing a basic exam herself. Unbelievable.
"What exactly do you think you're playing at? Honestly, acting like you're some kind of special case when this happens to everyone. It’s ridiculous. There's absolutely no point in starving myself just to satisfy this nonsense."
I told her straight up that this isn't normal. I mean, seriously, I don't think anyone else deals with this kind of pain. It’s constant. It hurts. So, I demanded a proper exam—an ultrasound, at least—and I told her if she wants me to run any specific blood tests or whatever else is needed to figure this out, just say the word. I'm done playing games with my health.
"You don't even need an MRI or any actual test results. Everything is perfectly fine, just wait it out."

Alright, it happened again. Sometimes I just get this discharge—maybe once every couple of months. It’s just one of those things that pops up out of nowhere.

Look, I know this is usually considered "women's territory," but I need to say this because of some recent—well, both recent and somewhat long-standing—family experiences. Please, just go see a specialist. Seriously. Get an appointment scheduled as soon as you possibly can. Don't wait.

I’ve got this massive, walnut-sized lump in my right breast that hurts like hell. It shows up right at the start of ovulation and doesn't clear up until my period ends... and it's been happening for two months now.
To be fair, I had an ultrasound about four months ago and everything came back fine. I only went in because I was having some discharge from my nipple (on the other side), and the doctor told me there was nothing to worry about, that it was normal, and basically just to leave it alone...
But now, this huge lump has appeared on the other breast. Like I said, it kind of comes and goes depending on my cycle, and it's incredibly tender to the touch.
About two years ago, I used to get these painful lumps under my armpit. My doctor told me those were just swollen lymph nodes reacting to my cycle and that it happens to some women, so there was no reason to worry. They would swell up so much it felt like they were going to burst, and the pain was intense. Now, I’m feeling that same sore spot under my arm again, but I've never actually had a lump in my breast before. Should I go back in for another ultrasound or what?
Just to clarify, that discharge was on the opposite side...

I don't feel any pain at all—unless I really dig my thumb into that bump right here

Those lumps are usually nothing to worry about—just swollen glands or fibroadenomas—but everywhere I look, the consensus is that nipple discharge is something you have to take seriously.
I'm dealing with a pretty large fibroadenoma myself, but discharge isn't normal and definitely needs a medical evaluation.

Carol Brooks41 said:Those lumps usually aren't anything scary—likely just inflamed glands or fibroadenomas—but everywhere I've read, they say you have to take nipple discharge seriously.
I’ve got a pretty large fibroadenoma myself, but discharge isn't exactly "normal," and it definitely needs a doctor's look.

In my case, it was coming from the other breast, and my doctor told me I probably irritated it myself just by messing with it too much. She said if the discharge is white, thin, or cheesy, it's fine...
but if the color changes, I need to call her immediately.