What are possible causes of a small lump under my armpit?

Doctor's Answers 1

Thank you for your question. There can be multiple causes of a lump affecting the armpit. The common causes would be an ingrown hair, infection of a hair follicle, cysts or lipomas. The more worrying causes like an enlarged lymph node due to breast cancer must also be excluded.

It is most important for you to see a doctor to ascertain the cause of your lump.

Most of these lumps can be easily treated with antibiotics or simple surgery to remove the lump, depending on the cause. I would encourage you to seek help from a doctor or dermatologist as soon as possible, so they can check you over and you no longer have to worry alone.

Hope this is helpful!

Best regards

Dr Stephanie Ho, Dermatologist

Similar Questions

How likely am I to get breast cancer if my mother has it?

This depends on a number of factors. Firstly, is your mother is the only relation with breast cancer or are there more relatives with breast or ovarian cancers? It also depends on the age that your mother got cancer. If your mother got cancer when she was less than 45 years old and she is the only one in the extended family with cancer then your risk is double compared to someone without a cancer in the family. The incidence of breast cancer in Singapore is currently 1 in 14 women.

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Answered By

Dr Radhika Lakshmanan

Breast Surgeon

Is prophylactic mastectomy recommended in cases of women who have a family history of breast cancer?

I would strongly suggest genetic counselling and getting yourself checked for hereditary breast cancer based on your family history. But before that I usually advise that my patients have medical and hospitalisation insurance sorted for yourself and your family members. Even with such a strong family history, it is not given that you may be carrying genes that increase your risk of breast cancer. Prophylactic mastectomy ( mastectomy before diagnosis of breast cancer) is an option for those who are carrying genes that put them at very high risk of having breast cancer e. g. BRCA gene mutation.

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