Felt bead-like 2-3mm mass just outside areola so stopped vivelle (estradiol). after 1 wk, shaped like a caplet <1mmx3mm, less tender. could it be cancer or dcis?

See your doctor.: I have been a breast cancer surgeon for over 20 years and I am still fooled by some exams. With that said, there are some generalizations about which breast lumps are more concerning than others. Cancers tend to be rock-hard, fixed, and 3-dimensionally round or oval. Benign lumps tend to be rubbery, cigar-shaped or pancake-shaped. What you are describing sounds benign but you must be seen.