Do cancer lumps hurt?

RELATED: Cancer-Fighting Foods (and Foods to Avoid) Lump 911: When to see a doctor fast There's no easy way to tell if a lump is cancerous from the outside, but there are some red flags, Dr. Shivadas says. read more

Myth 1: A Breast Lump Is Probably Cancer. Most breast lumps women feel -- 8 out of 10 -- aren't cancer. It's more common for them to be a cyst (a sac) or a fibroadenoma (an abnormal growth that's not cancer). Some lumps come and go during a woman's menstrual cycle. You can't tell what it is by how it feels. read more

After verifying that yours is benign, your M.D. might simply monitor you. If you have additional thyroid symptoms, however, treating the underlying disorder with medication or with radioactive iodine can shrink the lump. RELATED: Fight Cancer: Make Exercise Your Secret Weapon . Cysts. How they feel Like a soft grape. They are often tender to the touch. read more

Myth 6: A Small Lump Is Less Likely to Be Cancer Than a Large Lump Breast lumps come in all sizes, and size doesn't affect the odds that it's cancer, says Melissa Scheer, MD, a breast-imaging specialist at Manhattan Diagnostic Radiology in New York. read more