What is the bump above my chest? Understanding causes and when to see a doctor

October 2, 2025 •

5 min read

According to the National Institute of Health, a significant majority of breast lumps, including those that may feel like a bump above your chest, are benign. However, the discovery of any new or unusual lump can be unsettling, making it vital to understand the possible causes and when a medical evaluation is necessary.

Quick Summary

A bump above the chest can be due to harmless normal anatomy, benign growths like lipomas or cysts, injuries, or infections. While serious causes are less common, any persistent or changing lump requires professional medical evaluation for accurate diagnosis and appropriate care.

Key Points

Normal Anatomy: A prominent manubriosternal joint or xiphoid process can sometimes feel like a bony bump and is typically harmless.
Benign Growths: Soft, rubbery, and moveable fatty lumps called lipomas are a common, non-cancerous cause of bumps on the chest.
Cysts and Fibroadenomas: Fluid-filled cysts and solid, non-cancerous fibroadenomas are also frequent causes, especially within or near breast tissue.
Infections and Injuries: Abscesses, hematomas, and swollen lymph nodes can appear as painful, warm, and red lumps resulting from infection or injury.
When to See a Doctor: A healthcare provider should evaluate any persistent, growing, painful, or hard lump, as well as bumps accompanied by systemic symptoms.

Common Causes of a Bump Above Your Chest

A bump above your chest can have a wide range of causes, from a normal part of your anatomy to more serious medical conditions. The precise location, texture, and accompanying symptoms can offer clues, but only a healthcare professional can provide a definitive diagnosis.

Normal Anatomical Features

Sometimes, a bump isn't a growth at all, but rather a prominent part of your skeletal structure. The sternum, or breastbone, has several parts that can feel like a lump, particularly in thinner individuals:

Manubriosternal Joint: The joint connecting the top part of the sternum (the manubrium) to the main body can form a slight, noticeable angle outwards.
Xiphoid Process: The small, cartilaginous projection at the very bottom of the sternum can sometimes become more prominent, especially with age. A rare inflammatory condition called xiphoid syndrome can also cause pain and swelling in this area.

Benign Growths and Non-Cancerous Conditions

Many lumps are benign (non-cancerous) growths originating from the skin or underlying tissues. These often feel different from cancerous lumps, but a biopsy is sometimes needed for confirmation.

Lipomas: These are the most common type of soft tissue tumor. A lipoma is a slow-growing, fatty lump located just under the skin. It feels soft and rubbery, and you can usually move it easily with light pressure.
Cysts: A cyst is a sac filled with fluid, air, or other materials. Common types, like epidermoid cysts, are keratin-filled lumps that can form on the trunk. Cysts often have a smooth surface and may move when pressed.
Fibroadenomas: These solid, non-cancerous tumors are most common in people with breast tissue, which extends up into the chest and armpit. They are typically firm, smooth, and rubbery, and often move easily under the skin.
Fat Necrosis: This occurs when fatty breast tissue is damaged from an injury or surgery. It can lead to a painless, round, firm lump that often resolves on its own.
Hernias: An epigastric hernia can cause a bulge between the breastbone and belly button, resulting from fatty tissue pushing through a weak spot in the abdominal wall.

Inflammatory and Infectious Conditions

Infections or inflammation can also lead to the formation of a bump. These are often accompanied by other symptoms, such as warmth, redness, or tenderness.

Abscess: A painful, pus-filled pocket of infection that can form under the skin. The area often feels warm, tender, and appears red.
Hematoma: A collection of blood that forms under the skin following an injury. It is essentially a severe bruise that can form a firm lump.
Swollen Lymph Nodes: Lymph nodes in the chest area can swell in response to infections, leading to a bump under the skin. They may be painful and feel hard.
Mastitis: An infection of breast tissue that causes swelling, pain, redness, and a lumpy, warm feeling. It is most common during breastfeeding but can occur in non-lactating individuals as well.

Potential for Serious Causes

While most chest bumps are benign, some may indicate more serious conditions that require urgent medical attention. Cancerous lumps tend to be harder, more fixed, and have irregular borders, though this is not a universal rule.

Breast Cancer: A lump in the breast tissue is the most common symptom, though some breast cancers present with other signs. Lumps can sometimes be hard, painless, and have irregular edges, but can also be soft or tender.
Chest Wall Tumors: Rare but possible, tumors can originate in the bone or soft tissues of the chest wall. The most common cancerous type in adults is chondrosarcoma, which arises from cartilage, often in the ribs.
Lymphoma: This cancer of the lymphatic system can cause lymph nodes in the chest to become enlarged.
Metastatic Cancer: In adults, secondary chest wall tumors are more common and result from cancer spreading from another part of the body.

Diagnosis and Treatment

If you discover a new or unusual lump, a healthcare professional will perform an evaluation. This often includes:

Physical Examination: The doctor will feel the lump to assess its size, shape, texture, and mobility.
Imaging Tests: An ultrasound is often the first step to determine if the lump is solid or fluid-filled. Further imaging, like a mammogram, CT scan, or MRI, may be ordered.
Biopsy: For solid lumps or those with concerning features, a tissue sample (biopsy) will be taken to be analyzed in a lab.

Treatment depends entirely on the cause. Many benign lumps, like small lipomas or cysts, may not require treatment and can simply be monitored. Infections are treated with antibiotics, while serious conditions like cancer require specialized treatment, which may include surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation.

What a Bump Above Your Chest Could Be: A Comparison


Feature	Benign Conditions (e.g., Lipoma, Cyst)	Potentially Serious Conditions (e.g., Cancer)
Texture	Soft, smooth, and rubbery; may feel like a grape.	Often hard or firm.
Mobility	Moves easily under the skin when touched.	May feel fixed or firmly attached to surrounding tissue.
Shape/Borders	Usually round or oval with well-defined borders.	Can have irregular, less-defined borders.
Growth Rate	Grow slowly, if at all.	May grow rapidly or change in appearance over time.
Pain	Often painless, unless pressing on a nerve.	May or may not cause pain.
Associated Symptoms	Typically none, unless an infection is present.	May be accompanied by fever, fatigue, weight loss, or skin changes.

Conclusion

A bump above the chest is a discovery that warrants attention, but not necessarily panic. The vast majority of these lumps are harmless, caused by common benign conditions such as cysts or fatty lipomas. Nevertheless, a small number can be indicative of more serious issues. It is impossible to determine the cause of a lump based on touch alone, as even some cancerous growths can present atypically. Therefore, the safest course of action is to have any new, persistent, or changing bump evaluated by a medical professional for an accurate diagnosis and peace of mind. Early and proper diagnosis ensures that, if treatment is needed, it can begin as soon as possible.

For more information on benign and malignant lumps, the National Breast Cancer Foundation offers resources on understanding breast lumps and the importance of professional evaluation.

Frequently Asked Questions

While most chest bumps are benign, you should see a doctor if the bump is new, growing rapidly, feels hard and fixed in place, or is accompanied by other symptoms like pain, fever, or weight loss.

A fatty lump, or lipoma, typically feels soft and movable. While they are usually harmless, a lipoma that grows rapidly, feels painful, or is fixed can rarely indicate a more serious condition. Any hard, fixed lump should be professionally evaluated.

The small, often cartilaginous, projection at the bottom of the sternum is called the xiphoid process. A prominent or inflamed xiphoid process can sometimes be felt as a bump, but a doctor should evaluate it to rule out other causes.

Cysts are typically smooth, round, and movable, but can feel hard if deeper under the skin. Cancerous lumps may be hard, fixed, and have irregular borders. However, these characteristics are not absolute, so a professional diagnosis is always required.

Yes, an injury or trauma can cause a lump, such as a hematoma (a collection of blood) or localized swelling. These usually resolve as the injury heals, but should be monitored for changes.

An epigastric hernia is a bulge that occurs when fatty tissue pushes through a weak spot in the abdominal muscles between the breastbone and belly button. It can cause a visible bulge, and may be treated with surgery.

After a physical exam, a doctor may order imaging tests like an ultrasound, mammogram, or MRI. If the lump is solid or concerning, a biopsy may be performed to analyze the tissue and determine the appropriate treatment.