Lump in lower armpit

[quickquestion]

About a month and a half ago... while on vacation in Mexico, I found a small (less than .5 cm) lump in my armpit... just to the side of my breast... it feels somewhat rubbery and moves very freely. I have called my Gyn. (about 4 weeks ago) and she told me to quit caffeine (I cut down to one cup of green tea a day but couldn't quit totally (headches!) and take vit. e. She told me to call her after my next period and tell her if it's changed. I plan on calling her as me period just ended and it's still there unchanged. Here's my question, could this be a lymph node... I thought they were usually bigger when swollen? Could I be keeping it inflamed by playing with it at least 20 times a day (I tend to obsess)Dpes it sound like breast cancer? Aren't easliy moveable lumps benign? Should I worry.. by the way I am 26 with no history of BC in my family... and I was a HEAVY coffee drinker. Oh, and I tend to be a hypochondriac. Thanks!

[CCF-RN,MSN-rf]

Dear quickquestion:  This could be something as simple as an ingrown hair or a small lymph node.  It doesn't mean it is cancer.  Since it has lasted this long, it's not unreasonable to have it checked out.  Chances are small that it is cancer.  In case it is an inflammation, manipulating it multiple times a day may be contributing to it.  See if you can't cut down to once a day.

[surgeon]

a 5mm nodule could be many things, including a lymph node. At that size, and being mobile, it's in the range of normal for a node; it's not rare to be able to feel normal lymph nodes. What you describe does not sound at all worrisome; but if it's growing at all it definitely needs evauation. By the way, caffeine would have nothing to do with it, no matter what it is.