To ask you to tell me reassuring stories about underarm/breast lumps that were harmless?

[Grobagsforever]

Sorry but am freaking out. I'm 39 and lost DH at 35 to bowel cancer. Two small kids.

I have a soft, fatty, mobile lump in my armpit. I first noticed it shaving maybe a month ago. I thought it was a skin reaction at first to shaving e.g ingrown hair but now it's still there and is under skin.

Everything I've read suggests a cancerous lump would be hard and immobile.

I will call GP tomorrow and see how I can get it checked at current time. My rational brain says it's almost definitely fine. I have no risk factors. But because DH died of cancer young my brain has been freaking out all weekend.

Reassurance gratefully received.

I did have an USS and mammogram first in the one stop clinic.

Yes I had a big bastard there, about the size of a ping pong ball under my armpit. Got it drained, as it was a cyst. Completely benign. Of course you must get checked but 90% of the time it’s completely harmless.

@Grobagsforever

Sorry for what you have been going through and now this worry. I have had two lumps checked out, one in underarm/armpit. This turned out to be where fat (no idea how as I am very slim!) had somehow pushed out through the muscle so when I raised my arm I had this lump about the size of a 50p coin that was softish to touch and didn't hurt.

The second time was in my breast itself. I could feel hardish lumps, these turned out to be muscle tissue as I don't have much fat on my breasts.

Really important though to go and get checked out and the sooner the better. Hope you get good news and are reassured

I had a cyst/lump under my arm removed when I was a bit younger, the doctor said most likely it had been caused by a cut or ingrown hair from shaving. Go and get it checked out, don't upset yourself unnecessarily

I had the same thing under my arm near the breast; it was about the size of a pea. Had it checked out and it was a harmless cyst. The doctor told me that when a lump is moveable and if it hurts at all then it isn't anything to worry about. Was given the option to have it drained or the doctor said it would eventually drain itself. I think it took at least a year before it went away.

I've had a cyst in breast tissue and what the GP called a gristly lump in my armpit.

Thank you all, very reassuring

So sorry about the loss of your DH

When I turned over in bed, I felt a lump in my boob. I felt slightly spooked but as my mum and grandma both suffered many breast cysts throughout their lives I thought I’d just be the same. I was referred to breast clinic and had an ultrasound, lump was just breast tissue. My boobs are quite a mess after feeding two kids and my tissue is very compacted, doc said it’s like scar tissue inside my breast. It’s still there now and gets bigger and harder around my cycle.

Get it checked out op, I’m sure it will be nothing, good luck.

I had a fatty lump and rough patch at the bottom of one of my breasts last autumn. It had an appointment within 2 weeks for scans and ultrasound, and found to be just a normal accumulation of tissue, no further action needed. It was worrying, obviously, but the appointment was painless and everyone was very kind. I hope you can get yours checked out quickly, OP, and that all is well.

I recently saw a consultant for a breast lump too- she did say that in a lot of cases, dodgy lumps often feel more like a piece of gravel if that reassures you at all 💐

I've had several, all cysts, annoying, painful at times, but harmless

I had one, fatty lump. Never been so glad to have a lump of fat somewhere :)

I can often feel lymph nodes and often get a sore lump pop up and disappear. When I was breastfeeding I was convinced I had a problem with what was a duct and convinced my gp to get it scanned but it wasn't anything. A common theme I think it's that it's bloody hard seeing young people die of cancer so I'm sorry for your loss. Of course it doesn't mean you can't get cancer too, but if I had £1 for every type of cancer I'd self diagnosed since my cousin died of sarcoma at 19 I'd probably have a lot. I've known a few people die or have cancer in their 30s and always important to get checked out (although I haven't for all my imaginary cancers!) but it's easy for imagination to get away from you.

I would absolutely say that you need to get this checked.

But I have had something similar that has been coming and going for 22 years. Painful at certain times of the month, sometimes bigger sometimes smaller.

I noticed a lump in my breast two weeks ago. The dr asked me to come in after speaking to her over the phone. Mine turned out to be harmless, down to hormones that disappeared when I got my period.
Anyway, just wanted to reassure you that you can still get it checked out at your gp surgery. They’re not fully closed at the moment
Good luck 💐

It'll most likely be your lymph node. I get this quite a lot around period time or when I'm run down. Once I got one that was a bit different - it was an ingrown hair, and when it popped it was glorious.

Totally understand why you'd be panicking though but it really is so much more likely to be nothing

Ah bless you all for taking the time to share your stories. I will definitely get checked but it useful to be able to sleep in the meantime!

I had a huge one in my left breast on the side, scared the life out of me. Turned out to be a big cyst that had to be drained. Mammogram showed I had 7 more I knew nothing about. I have never been so grateful to see a big needle when they got rid of it. It comes back every now and again but goes away again.

I had a lump in my armpit that increased in size, it was an abscess that refused to budge, it was cut out having been referred to hospital as an emergency. All is fine now.

Good luck with your Drs Appt.

Please ask for a referral it's always best to be safe than sorry, it saved my life coming up to 8 years ago for me

Yes, I’ve had two lumps, one in a similar spot to yours (and sounds similar too) and one right underneath a nipple. Both dealt with very quickly through NHS, both removed and both absolutely non cancerous. I hope you get similar peace of mind soon.

@Fixitquick I will don't worry, I'm glad yours was caught.

Sounds like a common thing going by this long thread!

I developed a fatty lump under my right armpit whilst pregnant with Dd2 8 years ago. Had it checked out and was told it was excess breast tissue which could be removed surgically if I wanted (under GA). I refused as it was purely for cosmetic reasons as it doesn't really bother me (except gets very itchy after shaving) and is still there and very unsightly unfortunately!

I had a lump under my arm - it seemed to come up quite suddenly. When I went to the doctor it turned out to be scar tissue over a boil I had had lanced ago. Not sure why it suddenly came up but it's been thoroughly checked and is apparently fine.

I have had a lump for several years in my arm pit.

It started as the size of a pea and then over the space of a month got slowly bigger so I went to the Dr who said it was just a fatty lump and leave it alone.

So obviously I prodded and poked at it a lot and then one day it got hot, hard and painful so I gave it a massive squeeze and some pus came out of it. I did take a photo and post it on sporners corner

It never totally emptied, it flares up occasionally and it is still the size of a cherry.

Fingers crossed yours is nothing to worry about.