Relation of Breast Lumps to Muscle Tightness

Is there a muscle that is central to the neck, back, & breast? Can a muscle tighten to a point that you can feel pain in the areas of the body mentioned above. And what is the difference in the feel of a cancerous lump in the breast as opposed to a non-cancerous lump. Please get back to me....Worried lady.

[CCF-RN,MSN-rf]

Dear worried lady:  There is not a single "muscle" that connects the back, neck and breast.  Pain that affects all those areas may be a variety of things including a "muscle."  But it is more likely that there is more to it than this.  

Regarding the difference between a benign and cancerous lump.  Typically, a cancerous lump is very hard, it may not move around under your fingers, and it may not feel "round" at all.  They are not generally painful.  To untrained fingers, benign lumps may not feel different.  The important point is that if you feel a lump that was not there before, you should have it evaluated.  It may require further evaluation - like mammogram or ultrasound.  While the "feel" of a lump may be more or less suspicious to the physician, it is not diagnostic.  More evaluation is usually necessary.

[surgeon]

the neck and back are complex things: a muscle or nerve injury or irritation can cause pain or tightening, etc, in many places away from the primary problem. So the short answer is yes; but it's not just "a" muscle, it's any of many. As to a breast lump: cancer usually is very hard, and wheras it's distinctly there, the edges and exact shape are less distinct. But the most important thing is this: if there's a new lump in the breast, no matter what it feels like to you, it needs to be evaluated. Feel alone never tells the whole story.