Benign means the lump or deposit is not cancer. Most lumps fall into this category and are found during a mammogram, physician exam or breast self-exam. If you have not been taught how to do a breast exam, ask your doctor or nurse to show you. You'll also want to ask your nurse or doctor about breast self-exam after your surgery. Malignant means the lump or deposits are cancerous.
Malignant cells can invade and destroy nearby tissues and organs.
If it's benign, you can stop worrying. If a lump is malignant, you can start working on it.