Why Some Foot Lumps Need Immediate Soft Tissue Mass Evaluation

Throughout your life, it’s possible to develop many different kinds of soft tissue masses or lumps on your feet. Most of the time, these lumps can be uncomfortable but aren’t dangerous.

Occasionally, however, soft tissue masses can indicate a serious problem, such as malignancy. The following signs mean you should get the lump on your foot checked out immediately by Thomas Rambacher, DPM, FACFAS, FAPWCA, and Amber O’Connor, DPM, at Podiatry Hotline Foot & Ankle in Mission Viejo, California.

Is the lump on my foot cancerous?

Foot soft tissue masses are benign in the vast majority of cases. It’s more common for a lump to be a benign cyst, lipoma, or indicate you have a condition like bursitis.

However, our team needs to evaluate any new soft tissue mass, just in case it’s malignant. The following symptoms mean your lump has a higher likelihood of being cancerous and should be evaluated immediately. 

Sudden growth

Benign soft tissue masses usually grow slowly. If your lump appears out of nowhere overnight or suddenly gets much bigger after being at a smaller size and not changing, it’s more likely to be malignant. 

Large in size

Your mass needs to be checked right away if it’s over 5 centimeters. Large soft tissue masses are not only more uncomfortable, they’re also at increased risk of malignancy. 

Pain

A lump on your foot can hurt for many reasons. Sometimes, the pain is a symptom of cancer.

Located deep in your foot

Cancerous soft tissue masses are often quite deep in your foot and located near a bone or soft tissue. Masses on the foot’s skin are usually benign.

An unusual appearance

Benign foot lumps tend to be uniform in shape and color. A cancerous mass can be uneven in appearance and can be discolored.

Shows signs of infection

Pain, redness, swelling, and a streaky appearance may indicate an infection and require antibiotics. Infections can also increase your risk that the soft tissue mass is cancerous.

Diagnosing a foot soft tissue mass

Our team is experienced in diagnosing and treating a wide range of foot and ankle soft tissue masses. We evaluate your lump with an examination, description of your symptoms, and, when needed, diagnostic testing.

We can diagnose many common soft tissue masses with an examination alone and start your treatment immediately. If we need more information to diagnose, we perform an MRI test, or we remove the mass through minimally invasive surgery and send it to a lab for assessment.

If your soft tissue mass is benign, you don’t need any treatment if it isn’t bothering you. If it’s causing you discomfort or you don’t like the way the mass looks, we offer a variety of solutions to relieve your symptoms. We can also reduce or eliminate many masses by draining fluid, shrinking them using steroids, or removing them completely.

In the unlikely event that your lump is cancerous, we refer you to an oncologist and work with them to develop a treatment plan.

Getting any soft tissue mass evaluated quickly gives you peace of mind or the treatment you need to get better. Contact us to schedule an evaluation of any foot or ankle lump.