Can I have some positive breast lump stories, please?

[WillGymForPizza]

Just that really. I found a lump in my left boob on Sunday night whilst having a shower. I'm almost certain it wasn't there on Saturday, so I suspect it's come up suddenly at some point on Sunday. Got a GP appointment on Tuesday at my DMs insistence (I was going to leave it to see of went down itself). And though he didn't seem overly concerned he referred me to the breast clinic as its standard procedure, I'm still waiting for my appointment to come through.

I'm only 36 with no family history of the disease, but I'm driving myself potty with worry and have made myself physically ill. I just want it over with and the more I think about it the worse it gets. I try not to think about its but always there niggling at the back of my mind.

The lump is pea sized and moves about, if I squish my boob I can't feel it at all. If I lie a certain way it it sort of flattens out and feels longer if that makes sense?

I just don't know what to do? I'm so scared I have cancer, I keep googling and I know it's unlikely but not unheard of.

Please help!

I have lumpy boobs. Not anything to worry about. They just are.
I did find a concerning lump and was referred to a clinic. Where the general lumpiness was confirmed.
I share too much on here.

I've got a fibroadenoma - the consultant called them a 'breast mouse' because they move around (within the same area).

My dd28 found a lump, went to see gp who referred her to get it checked out. Breast cancer runs in the family on dh side. Appointment came through didn't have long to wait. Did everything in the clinic including the xrays. She found out the same day she was clear. Think a lot of hospitals do this now, so you don't have to wait. Crossing fingers.

Had this only three weeks ago. Was awful. Right boob, large pea sized, smooth, quite mobile. I knew it wasn't there a week or so previous

I got myself in a right state. The night I found it I was up all night crying. Just madness

I saw my doctor the next day who said it felt like a fibroadenoma to her and she calmed me down sufficiently so I was able to somehow get through the 10 day wait I had for the clinic - I was all set to pay privately

Went to clinic. And it was ... nothing. Just breast tissue. But it's a lump? It's still there. A mammogram, ultrasound and two doctors told me it's just ... nothing. A normal thing

So .. beats me really. But that's my positive story. You're sounds like mine. I've never ever had a lump before or a cyst or anything so I understand your fear. Please try and rest easy - I think you'll be just fine

My mum died from breast cancer so when I discovered a lump, I was petrified. Turned out to be a fibroadenoma. I had to have mine removed purely because it was causing a nuisance where it was, but they are fine to just leave be.
Sending you good thoughts

Almost certainly a cyst, you’re quite right, tumours don't pop up overnight, cysts do and are very easily treated (if they need treatment at all).
I also have a positive breast cancer story, in the extremely unlikely event that we’re all wrong and it is a tumour. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016, successfully treated and I’m healthier now than I’ve ever been.
Don’t worry for the future if you do have s cyst. I’ve been riddled with them for years but my surgeon told me a propensity for the. doesn’t increase your chance of developing breast cancer at all, completely separate conditions (benign cysts cannot become cancerous). Hope that helps.

Thank you everyone. I'd bet money on the fact that it wasn't there the day before. I always wash myself in the same way and brushed against it and felt it immediately, it rolled under my fingers and I had to prod about to feel it again. I could then feel it while putting on my bra the next morning so I'd have definitely noticed it had it been there before that.

It can all seem very alarming when the GP suddenly takes you seriously and you’re referred, you immediately think the worst. But there’s a very clear protocol, whatever the criticisms of the NHS. If there’s even the vaguest possibility of anything cancerous the machine whirs into action and you’re seen very quickly. Don’t panic, it’s routine. 9 out of 10 breast lumps are completely harmless. Even if they’re not, if it’s containef in the breast, the 5 year survival rate (so effectively the survival rate) is 99%. You will, of course you will, but please try not to worry too much over the weekend, it’s almost certainly bound to be absolutely fine.

My GP told me that it's reassuring if a lump moves.

Ive had my appointment through this morning, and it's not till the end of March?! I though they had to see you within two weeks?! Is that positive that they don't think I have to be seen urgently? I'm going to have a nervous breakdown before then!

Three times, three mammograms, always something innocuous- do get it checked out by try not to worry too much.

I just don't undedstand why I hav to wait a fucking month for my appointment?!

I’ve had biopsies on two different lumps (family history of breast cancer) and both times results came back as a benign cyst.

Just get checked as soon as you can and try not to think about it too much until you know what you’re dealing with. Good luck.

In our trust - but afraid I don’t know if that’s standard across the UK - it’s only within 2 weeks if your GP has sent an urgent referral. A month suggests they haven’t, which in turn suggests he/she doesn’t suspect it’s cancerous from the feel of it and what you e told them about the circumstances. If you phone your surgery they ought to tell you whether it was or wasn’t.
If it wasn’t urgent, I’d take comfort from that, cysts are so incredibly common, GPs will deal with thousands. Keep a close eye in the meantime (which of course you will, sorry) go straight back if there are any other symptoms (skin puckering, discharge) and you may well find that it goes away by itself before your appointment, cysts don’t always need draining.
If it was an urgent referral, afraid that just means there are too many on the list. If you ring your unit you can probably ask for a last minute cancellation if any come up, they usually keep a list (and people do cancel).
You’ll still be worried: I found the Breast Cancer Care helpline really good. You don’t have to have a diagnosis to speak to them, they’ll know how scared you are and will be able to help put your mind at rest to an extent.

Thanks JRM. Ive calmed down a bit now. My GP didn't seem all that concerned and seemed to think it was either fibredoma (sp?) or a cyst. He told me to return if I developed any discharge or a rash but I haven't.

If there's anything good to come out of this it's that Ive become breast aware. I don't really check myself, and have reseolved to do so from now on. Thankfully I don't seem to have lumps elsewhere so all is good(ish).

Do try and stay calm @WillGymForPizza - it sounds like exactly what I had. And mine was absolutely bloody nothing - despite the fact I can feel it there. It's probably not a cyst, it's probably a fibroadenoma - or like me, it's just breast tissue which for some reason has never made itself known before

I know it's really really really hard and I was all over the place. But when I felt myself in a spin, I remembered just how reassuring my doctor was. And just think - they feel lumps all the time and trust me, they know when they're feeling something that's isn't anything (if you get me)

I found a lump years ago. I remember well that feeling of panic. My hospital appointment tooo about a month too. Mine moved around a lot and turned out to be a fibroadenoma. I ended up having it removed, which was very very straightforward.

I had my first ultrasound for breast lumps in my 20s and I've lost count of how many cysts I've had in the meantime. Some have been drained, most just left alone.

I've had 1 complex cyst excised surgically and two more by vacuum excision and I currently have 2 more that I'm leaving well alone ( they have been checked by biopsy and are more of the same)

All have been benign. Try not to worry to much.

I've just had a call back after my Mammogram for a lump. Totally harmless cyst

I had one 2 years ago. After a good prod about and a mammogram it was a fatty lump (can't remember the name). I was 46, no family history but like you went quietly nuts waiting for the appointment - my dh called for me as it was making my depression/anxiety worse and I got a cancellation a week earlier. Might be worth trying if you are really stressed!

Statistically it’s far more likely to be benign than not. But you’re doing the right thing in getting it checked out, OP.

As you asked for stories, I found a lump when my baby was about 6 weeks old, and it was the most stressful week of my life. It is so worrying. But mine was benign and hopefully yours will be too.

Here’s the huge glass of you’ll have earned for getting it checked. Lots of luck.

I had one in October last year. Was fast tracked to the breast clinic, GP seemed concerned, clinic appt was about 10 days later. I had a student doctor and consultant both examine me and said I'd need the ultrasound but couldn't have it that day due to staff shortages. I was so scared, especially as there's family history of it. They were all so professional and kind though.

A week after that I had the scan and was declared as lumpy boobed. The doctor who performed the US was so thorough and really put my mind at ease, once he knew it was okay he could tell I was still concerned so asked me to push where the lump was and then talked me through it and showed/explained how he knew it was just lumpy breast tissue.

Thinking of you, I know how scary it is, but the odds are you are absolutely fine. Don't do what I did and start googling all your worst worries, it's a horrible rabbit hole to go down. Well deserved vice of your choice for getting it looked at I think!

Hi everyone. I finally had my appointment at the breast clinic this morning. Ive been examined, ultrasounded and biopsied and everyone is almost certain that it's just a fibroadenoma. I just have to wait for the results to be 100% certain, but the doctor has told that I have nothing to worry about and it's nothing sinister.

It's such a relief and I literally felt the weight lift off my shoulders when they told me. There were four of us in the waiting room at the clinic and we were all fine, just proof that most breast lumps are nothing to worry about.

I had one in 2014, about the size of a teaspoon that came up very suddenly. Referred to the breast clinic, examination and ultrasound and they were happy enough that it was just a fatty lump and didn't require a biopsy.

Oops, didn't click to the second page

Great news OP!