When To Call a Doctor

Call your doctor if you have:

• A painless lump in your breast or armpit.
• A change in the size or shape of the breast.
• Changes in the skin of the breast, such as a dimple or skin that looks like an orange peel.
• A change in the nipple, such as scaling of the skin, a nipple that turns in, or discharge or bleeding.
• A change in the color or feel of the skin around the nipple.

Who to see

Health professionals who can perform a breast exam include the following:

• Family medicine doctor
• General practitioner
• Gynecologist
• Internist
• General surgeon or a surgeon who specializes in diseases of the breast
• Nurse practitioner
• Physician assistant

Mammograms are usually read by radiologists.

You may see a general surgeon, a breast surgeon, or a radiologist if further evaluation of a breast problem is needed.

Breast cancer is treated by surgeons, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists.

To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment.