New Lumps & Growths: When to Seek Medical Assessment

Finding a new lump under your skin can be worrying. The good news is that most lumps are not cancer.

Still, one rule is worth following: if a new lump or growth is still there after about two weeks, keeps getting bigger, feels hard or stuck in place, or is in your breast, testicle, neck, armpit, or groin, have a doctor look at it.

What a New Lump or Growth Can Mean

Lumps form for many reasons, and most are benign, meaning not cancer. Common causes include:

• Lipoma: a soft lump of fat under the skin that slides when pressed.
• Cyst: a small sac of fluid that can appear almost anywhere.
• Reactive lymph node: glands in the neck, armpit, and groin that swell while fighting an infection, then settle.
• Abscess or boil: a pocket of infection, usually sore, red, and warm.

Some lumps do need treatment, such as a long-running infection or a tumor. Because harmless and serious lumps can feel the same, a doctor should examine it.

Changes in a Lump That Should Be Checked by a Doctor

See a doctor at a clinic or puskesmas if the lump:

• Is still there after two weeks, keeps coming back, or is getting bigger
• Feels hard, stuck to the tissue underneath, or will not move
• Hurts, looks red, bleeds, leaks pus, or has an open sore
• Is in your breast or testicle
• Is a swollen lymph node in the neck, armpit, or groin when you are not otherwise sick
• Is a mole that has changed size, shape, color, or edges, or has started to bleed or itch

Get it checked sooner if you are also losing weight without trying, running a fever, waking soaked in sweat, or noticing skin changes on the breast. None of this means cancer, but they are reasons to be seen sooner rather than later.

Warning Signs That Need Urgent Care

Some symptoms should not wait for an appointment. Go straight to the nearest emergency department, or IGD, if a lump comes with:

• Trouble breathing or swallowing
• Sudden severe pain, especially in a testicle, with nausea or vomiting
• Fast-growing swelling, a high fever, or redness spreading across the skin
• Heavy bleeding, fainting, confusion, or sudden weakness

The emergency department at Bali International Hospital is open 24 hours on 150 919 in Indonesia, or ( 62) 21 3002 0031 from overseas.

How a Lump Is Assessed

Most assessments start simply. The doctor asks when you noticed the lump and what has changed, then examines its size, texture, and movement.

If more is needed, you may have an ultrasound, mammogram, or CT scan at our Diagnostic Center, or blood tests for infection. If the lump is still unclear, a biopsy may be offered, where a small piece of tissue is checked under a microscope.

From there you may be referred to a surgeon, dermatologist, breast specialist, or the cancer team at Icon Cancer Centre. For a step-by-step look at how each test works, see How Doctors Investigate Unexplained Growths.

Get a New Lump Checked Early

Waiting to see what happens rarely answers the question. An examination usually takes one short visit, and most people leave reassured.

Finding out early also gives you more choices if treatment is needed. At our international hospital, imaging, surgery, dermatology, and cancer care sit in one building in Sanur, so your examination and follow-up happen in one place.

Book a clinic appointment if you have found a new lump or growth, or find a doctor by specialty. Not sure who to see?

Contact us on WhatsApp at 62 812 1166 1127, or call 1500 238 in Indonesia and ( 62) 21 3113 1923 from overseas.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do if I find a new lump or growth?

Note when you first noticed it, whether it has changed, and whether it hurts or moves, then book an appointment. Do not squeeze, heat, or drain it at home.

If you also have trouble breathing or swallowing, sudden severe pain, or fast-spreading swelling with a fever, go to the emergency department.

Which changes in a lump should be checked by a doctor?

Any lump that grows, hardens, becomes stuck in place, changes shape or color, bleeds, or opens into a sore. The same goes for a lump still there after two weeks, a swollen lymph node with no obvious infection, and any breast or testicle lump.

Can a lump or growth be non-cancerous?

Yes, and most are. Lipomas, cysts, and lymph nodes reacting to an infection are common and usually harmless.

Because a benign lump can feel much like a serious one, an examination is the only way to be sure.

How soon should a new or changing growth be checked?

A new lump still there after about two weeks should be checked. Get it seen sooner if it is growing fast, is in the breast or testicle, or comes with weight loss, fever, or night sweats.