Health

  What To Do if You Feel a Lump In Your Breast Assess What Could Be Causing the Lump If you feel a lump and your period is due within a week, the lump may be a cyst—a small, fluid-filled sac. For some people, premenstrual hormone surges can cause cysts to grow. Chances are your healthcare provider will ask you to wait to see if it goes away on its own after your period, said  Mary Jane Minkin, MD , clinical professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at Yale University School of Medicine. However, if you're in the middle of your cycle or postmenopausal, call a healthcare provider, even if you're due for a mammogram soon. While you wait for your appointment, take some notes, suggested  Hollye Jacobs, RN , a registered nurse and breast cancer survivor who wrote a patient guide called  The Silver Lining .  You'll want to have information to answer questions like: