Lumps can appear anywhere on your body. Most lumps are harmless but it's important to see a GP if you're worried or the lump is still there after 2 weeks.

Most lumps are normal

It's common for people to get lumps and growths on their skin. They can be caused by many things.

They can:

be soft or hard to touch
move around
be very small or up to the size of a golf ball
be a lump under the skin or a growth that hangs off your skin

Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:

your lump gets bigger
your lump is painful, red or hot
your lump is hard and does not move
your lump lasts more than 2 weeks
a lump grows back after it's been removed
you have a lump in the breast or testicles
you have a swelling on the side of your neck, armpit or groin that does not go down within 2 weeks

What happens at your appointment

The GP will look at your lump. They may be able to tell you what's causing it.

If they're unsure, they might refer you to hospital for tests, such as a biopsy (where a very small sample of the lump is removed and tested) or an ultrasound scan.

Possible causes of lumps

There are lots of possible causes of lumps and growths.

Your symptoms might give you an idea of what's causing it, but do not self-diagnose.

See a GP if you're worried or the lump is still there after 2 weeks.

Lumps anywhere on the body

Possible causes of lumps on your body
Lump	Possible cause
Small, fleshy growth on the skin	Skin tags
Soft, squashy lump that moves	Lipoma
Smooth lump under the skin	Skin cyst
Swollen, painful lump with a high temperature	Skin abscess
Lump that’s painless at first, then gets bigger and becomes painful	Soft tissue sarcoma

Lumps on the armpit, neck or groin

Possible causes of lumps on your armpit, neck or groin
Lump	Possible cause
Swelling on the side of the neck, armpit or groin	Swollen glands
Lump in the groin	Hernia
Lump on the front of the neck	Goitre
Fleshy growths around the groin	Genital warts
Swelling on the side of the neck, armpit or groin that does not go down	Non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Lumps around the bottom

Possible causes of lumps around the bottom
Lump	Possible cause
Lump or lumps around the bottom (anus), often with itching or pain	Piles
Lump on the bottom (anus) and not being able to control when you poo	Rectal prolapse

Lump on the breast or testicle

Possible causes of lump on the breast or testicle
Lump	Find out more
Lump or swelling on the breasts	Breast lumps
Lump or swelling on the testicles	Testicle lumps and swellings

Lump on the hands

Possible causes of lumps on the hands
Lump	Possible cause
Smooth lump on the hand, wrist or finger	Ganglion cyst
Rough growth on the hand or finger	Warts

Page last reviewed: 05 February 2024
Next review due: 05 February 2027