Male with lumps on outer right side

[jo_e914]

Hi everyone.

I am a 27 year old male. Since about 2012 or 2013 I have been concerned about 2 lumps that I can feel on the right side of my chest and towards the area between my nipple and armpit. I guess you could call it the "side boob" area. To my knowledge these lumps are movable and haven't grown since I first discovered them years ago. However, I'm worried because I'm not certain of this. They don't feel like they've grown but I can't be completely sure. I was told years ago by a doctor that it could just be fatty tissue, and since I am slightly overweight, I figured this could be the case. My primary doctor has felt the area and he said nothing "felt scary" in that area. Nice of him to assume that. I asked if there was a way of getting further testing done and he told me to wait until my next 6 month checkup and see if anything seemed different then he would see what would be the next step. At the next appointment he didn't mention anything and seemed to be in a rush so I didn't mention it either. I was 24 then and now I'm 27 and I had figured since nothing seemed to change in all this time then it must be nothing.

So my main question tho is does anybody know what other symptoms I should be experiencing? I have had no nipple discharge and no changes to the skin in the area. And does anyone know what testing I could have done? I had heard once that a mammography wouldn't work on a man because there isn't enough breast to scan or something like that. So if anyone has any info on male breast cancer I would appreciate the help. Thank you

[Jack650]

Men can have mammograms, but it's unlikely that you have breast cancer. On the other hand, it's better to be safe than sorry. Maybe you should have one or both lumps removed and examined under the microscope.

[Jack650]

By the way, I failed to mention that when I was about 24 years old I had a clear discharge from my right nipple. The doctor said it could be a precancerous condition and sent me to a surgeon who removed my right breast as a precaution.

[zouzi]

Hi,
As you have had these lumps for 3 years now, I don’t think you should be worried too much. A malignant lump in the male breast is relatively rare especially since these lumps are movable, don’t seem to have grown and you don’t have nipple discharge or noticed any skin changes.
Nevertheless, since these lumps are still present, it is necessary that some type of testing be done if you want to know exactly what’s going on. Yes, a Mammography can be done and it’s often more accurate in men than in women, because males do not have dense breasts or other common breast changes that might interfere with the test. Also an Ultrasound can be very useful to see if a breast lump or mass is a cyst (fluid filled sac) or a solid tumor.
If your doctor does not order these tests, and you are obviously worried about these lumps, I would advise you to consult a Breast Specialist who will examine you and let you know if  further investigation will be needed or not.
Take care and I hope this helps.