To not understabd how a GP can tell if a breast lump or not without referring you?

[SoSallyCanWait]

I went to my GP about a breast lump. She’s a great GP but I’m doubting her with this. She felt the lump and told me “it feels glandular” and “she’s not concerned” but to keep an eye as always and to come back if any changes occur. How can she know it’s not cancer without the screening. I do have health anxiety and the GP knows this, but I feel on this occasion, I have a reasonable cause for concern. Please help. I’m very worried.

From experience they know what's worrisome or not. You can book private mammograms though if you want piece of mind outside your GP if you don't think they have it right.

So Sally I had blocked milk ducts (2 lumps turned out to be that) - both around 3 months after I stopped BF. They aspirated out a syringe full of milk on both occasions

I too have health anxiety, I went to my dr with a similar thing, not a lump but thickening, I was referred for an ultrasound despite the dr saying she didn’t think it was anything, all was fine but I would say any lump needs investigating and I would request one if you can from your dr, then you can move on and not think about it

Or follow the process but you need to go back in my opinion

I’d ask for a telephone appointment and see if you should go back in

Ask for a referral to a breast screening clinic. Not all GPs can tell. Not all sinister lumps feel the same - some can be smooth and soft. Mammograms do miss cancers which is why a full screen is best.

E

Maybe the GP’s 10 plus years of training has helped them understand what feels like cancer and what doesn’t

I had to go for a check for one once - turned out to be a cyst but they did send me pretty quickly for an ultrasound (not mammogram because I was quite young and have what were (accurately!) described as "large lumpy breasts". Not flattering but I know what they mean.

If it is still there and you're still worried book in again and insist on a referral so it can be properly looked at. But try not to worry - they are often just cysts. Boobs do get cysty lumps that are completely benign, sometimes they need draining/removing but are still not a cancer.

I haven't read the whole thread but please please see some one else and get a second opinion.
I'm not scaremongering or trying to frighten you but I think it's worth telling you that my sister is dead because her (also female) doctor misdiagnosed a breast lump and didn't refer her. Said it was nothing to worry about.
That was nearly 20 yrs ago - things have moved on since then.
You need a second opinion. The likelihood is that it is glandular but in the tiny chance that it's not catching these things early makes all the difference.

Or maybe GPs are far from infallible and miss things all the time. My grandmother and great aunt both had cancers that weren't picked up by GPs and didn't get diagnosed until it was too late.

I would have assumed that all breast lumps were referred on for further investigation. I’m fairly sure that is the procedure here in Ireland.

Please go back and ask for a referral - you can't be 100% sure without further tests.

I've had a number of "complicated" cysts over the last few years. They felt like normal cysts but ultrasound showed solid elements to them which could have been cancer. Luckily in both cases I had a benign cause but I did have to have them both surgically removed.

You should be referred, go back and see a different GP and get a referral. It's probably nothing, but you need to be seen.

I would go back.

I had a lump recently and the gp explained that they have a specific process they go through related to how many weeks they believe the lump has been there. More than four weeks and it is an immediate urgent referral to the breast clinic.

There are very specific referral criteria. You have to meet the criteria to be referred under the two week rule. Your GP would be applying these and following the commissioned pathway.

Nice guidelines for referral. If the OP is 30 or over she presumably meets the criteria.

The OP has health anxiety - is it really helpful to post the rare, scare stories on her thread?

OP, your GP knows where your glands are, so is probably making quite an informed statement. Also, lumps when BF are so common. By all means go back or get a second opinion, but don't worry too much in the meantime - and step away from Dr google!