Found a lump in my breast

[Disillusioned4now]

Hi, I'm 31 and I've found a lump in my breast. It's not massively prominent and I have to hunt a while to find it. I've heard that breast cancer is small and hard like a pea, this feels the size of a marble and feels like it could be a gathering of blood vessels? My boyfriend has felt it too.

Before I found it I had no pain. Now I've found it it really hurts when I touch it, the whole breast aches too. And now I know it's there my breast in that area is hurting all the time so I struggle to take my mind off it. I wonder if its psychological. I am also on the last day of my period so that could be making it achey. Although my period doesnt usually have that effect.

Went straight to the Dr who is a newly qualified GP so not mega experienced and she said she felt it too so has referred me to the hospital clinic where I think I'm getting a scan. She said that as I'm only 31 it's highly unlikely to be cancer. But Sarah Harding from Girls Aloud has been diagnosed and its spread to other parts of her body and she's only 7 years older. I have no family history of breast cancer.....but it rears its head in families eventually with all the processed crap we've been having since the 70s.

I'm scared. And I'd really like to hear anyone elses experiences of scares that turned out to be nothing to put my mind at ease please.

[ChaChaCha2012]

The GP is correct, it's highly unlikely to be cancer. It's standard practice to refer you to the breast clinic, just so they can be sure all is well.

[Disillusioned4now]

What else could it be? Are cysts/benign tumours quite common? My breasts look the same and feel the same at first glance, but when doing a proper examination, one feels far softer, just like soft flesh the whole way through. The one that hurts and I've found a lump on feels much more blood vesselly and sinewy in general.

[MintyChapsticks]

It could be a fibroadenoma

I had a lump and god, was beside myself. It was small marble shaped, tricky sometimes to locate and sort of mobile. I was referred to the clinic and it was ... nothing. That was the diagnosis - nothing. I had an examination and a scan and the doctor just said ' all fine and nothing there.'

Well it was there but I was relieved to hear this. It slowly decreased in size and went away

It is overwhelmingly likely that this is a fibroadenoma so feel free to google that (but don't google anything else as there literally is no point! You'll just worry yourself for nothing)

[Disillusioned4now]

That's really reassuring thank you @MintyChapsticks 😊 x

I've heard that I won't get the results of the scan on the same day? Apparently if it's nothing at all, I'll get the results around 2-3 days later. If it's a lump of something then they'll book another appointment for a biopsy, 2 weeksish after the scan to check if its cancer, benign fatty lump, blocked lymph node etc. Then I'll get the results of that maybe a week later. So still could have almost 6 weeks before I get to the bottom of it. Does that sound similar timelines to your experience?

[MintyChapsticks]

No, if you're in the UK you will be told immediately if it's nothing. It's a 'one stop' clinic so you're given the results whilst you wait so don't worry about having to wait days on end to be told

[Disillusioned4now]

Thanks @MintyChapsticks I am in the UK.

[MintyChapsticks]

And if it's 'something' you'll also be told! You may need to go back for further tests etc but honestly you'll come away knowing what's what

And remember - 9 out of ten lumps are nothing to worry about. And of the 1 in 10 that are something, 9 out of 10 of those are treatable

So the odds are very much in your favour here and you'd do well to try and put it to the back of your mind. I know how hard that is as I was in a terrible state. But do try because the overwhelming chance is - you're fine

[Disillusioned4now]

Thank you so much @MintyChapsticks that's really helping to put my mind at ease 😊 I know worrying won't do me any good and I'm powerless until my appointment, but it is hard not to. I've been upset for days. But this has really helped me chill out a bit so thank you so much for the reassurance 😊 xxx

[Standrewsschool]

It’s natural to worry when you find a lump, but most lumps are benign (cyst etc), and if it is bc, then the survival rates are very good (85% survive five years plus). The NHS is very well set up to deal with bc, although I hope yours is nothing serious.

[june2007]

I have a lumb it,s not cancerous I have been told to take Evening primrose sumplement. I giving it to weaks on suplements and if no change I am going back. Not putting up with "it,s hormones" after it hurting for eight months.