Found a lump and don't know if I am BU panicking

[whostoletheeyeoutyourteddybear]

Hi all,

Last night I rolled over in bed and felt this elongated egg shaped hard, painless lump in my right breast. At the top above the nipple. I can't see it, just feel it. I never noticed before as I usually wear a sports bra to bed as I have quite large breasts. Also, I hate touching my breasts. I called NHS 24 (Scotland) as today is a Bank Holiday and GP practices are closed. They were lovely and gave me an urgent referral for tomorrow morning but said I can attend one stop breast clinic today of I mentally can't wait.
Now, my aunt (mum's cousin) had breast cancer at my age (42) and had a double mastectomy, my gran (mum's mum)had womb cancer in her 30s and died years later of a different cancer. There's a lot of other cancers all from my mum's side of the family which has subsequentlybeen the cause of death of 6 family members. My mum died ar 53 suddenly as did my brother at 40 (not cancer related) but I fear if they lived longer there would have been a cancer of sort.
I was upset last night but feel okay today. I'm a single parent with a 17 year old son 👨‍🦰 my 2 dogs 🐕 🐕and cat 🐈. I've a really supportive workplace so not worried about that. Think I've gone off on a tangent. Anyway, should I be worried? Could it just be hormone fluctuations?
Also, I told one of my friends and she just said 'oh dear! However, my other friend is extremely supportive of hiw I'm feeling. I never ask for help as I'm rather strong, active and independent and love life...so this is odd for me. Sorry for the book 📖 lol. TiA.

You are not being unreasonable or panicking. You have very valid concerns and need to see someone as soon as you can arrange it. Its great that you have the referral for tomorrow plus an offer of going to the breast clinic today- that is a premium service .
Go to the clinic today and get the wheels in motion. You need to get checked anyway and if they can see you sooner rather than later it will help you mentally even if it will have no effect on the diagnosis or any treatment needed .
I wish you good luck .

You have totally done the right thing. Get it checked. The chances are it's not anything sinister, try and focus on that. Best of luck.

If you’re very worried I would take the offer of the one stop clinic today. In England you would have to wait a fortnight and it probably wouldn’t be a one stop shop.

I have a history of female cancers so have had lots of lumps prodded and poked over the years. At the very least they will do an ultrasound, and possibly mammogram (age dependent), and biopsy. The biopsy doesn’t hurt, sharp scratch for the local but even that was fairly comfortable.

Also - what feels hard to you might not be what the clinic consider hard. Smooth would also be a good sign. But nobody can really tell without imaging and biopsy.

Good luck!

You aren't being unreasonable at all. BUT there are many causes of lumps, so try not to assume the worst (easier said than done, but still try to remind yourself of this).

You're getting amazing access to care there, which is wonderful, too - knowing one way or another quicker will be good for you, compared to waiting.

I hope you have your answers asap.

Does the lump move around under your skin? I have a couple of these and they've been there for years without getting any bigger or causing any problem whatsoever. A smooth, moveable lump is much less likely to be anything to worry about.

Of course you're doing the right thing getting it checked out, but the fact remains that the majority of breast lumps are nothing to be concerned about.

Add to that, even if it is cancer, treatments are really good these days.

So as hard as it might be not to worry - at least try to keep the perspective that it's probably okay :).

Hoping for a good result and so glad you've got an urgent referral!

DP had a lump in his chest and it was nothing.

GL xx

I had one and it turned out to be raised fatty tissue. Had mammogram, ultrasound and needle biopsy all in one day at rapid breast care clinic. Excellent service.

I’ve just gone through this. Is the one stop shop at Ross Hall? I saw the doctor there and he told me the majority of lumps are cysts and told me to wait for my nhs referral. Weirdly with my period the lump reduced and I had a mammogram and ultrasound at hospital. I have cystic tissue, nothing serious. I was seen by the NHS hospital within 10 days if my gp referral. Going private can actually delay things as they have to send imaging to the NHS and they are different software systems.

Hand hold.
Get it checked as soon as you can for peace of mind.
I had a lump checked a year or so ago, was just hormonal changes. But as my Mum died of breast cancer I'm a bit jittery about this kind of thing too.
Most breast lumps are harmless.

Hi all, thanks for your lovely comments. I'm waiting to see my own GP with the referral first thing tomorrow. Decided i was too panicky today to drive over to Forth Valley. I now think I'm overreacting but I do hate making a fuss. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have an idea what's going on. I imagine it will be a trip to the breast clinic after the GP.

Hi OP, I’m in Glasgow. The breast clinic appointment can quick and I went in at 8.55 am and was finished by 10am. I saw the doctor, got a mammogram then an ultrasound, they aspirated the cyst and I was done.

Definitely best to get it checked.
I think it’s something like 9/10 urgent referrals to the breast clinic come back benign, it’s all just procedure so don’t panic about getting sent to a clinic.
I went to a breast clinic a couple of years ago and it was a really good experience overall because I had the results within an hour! I was very nervous but got checked, waited for a scan, was told by the sonographer it was fine and then was sent on my way!

Wishing you best of luck tomorrow and you're acting quickly and decisively -nothing wrong with feeling panicky, as long as you use the feeling to decide on what action's best to take, which you've done.

I think it is an urgent one to be honest. I was immune and ahhing about routine vs emergency GP appointment for one of mine but the receptionist said it was something they counted as urgent. I can’t remember if I took the urgent one or waited, but I have had many lumps checked out over the years, and have some understanding of what cancer normally feels like (plus I still just about have age on my side).

Good luck for today OP. Hope it turns out to be nothing to worry about.

I was 42 when I found a lump in my breast. It was long and not what I thought was a ‘typical’ cancer lump so was shocked when the gap referred my under the 2 weeks and then the consultant didn’t dismiss it as a possibility.

Got a mammogram and ultrasound and as it is in the vast majority of women around that age, it was a cyst. I actually had many of them. Definitely hormonal and indeed started the perimenopause shortly after.

Good luck OP, it’s a horrible thing to go through but very very common. Cross my fingers for you all is fine.

@vivainsomnia identical to me, 42 and found out I have lots of cysts in there now.