To use A&E for suspected breast cancer?

[MamaJustKilledAMan]

Throwaway because my sister also uses MN and I don't want her to read this and twig it's me. Sorry it's long!

So I found a lump in my breast around 6 months ago, I could feel it sometimes and then not others so I put it down to a ripple or something in my breast implant.
However around 3 weeks ago I caught my arm against my breast and it felt a bit tender so I did a BSE and noticed a very solid hard formed lump in my breast tissue, my implant sits behind the muscle so this was definitely a growth in my breast.
I then had a proper good look at my boobs in the mirror and literally almost burst into tears when I noticed my full nipple had inverted and there is a crease right in the middle of my breast from left to right.
I made an appointment with my GP who I saw last week, she immediately referred me to the breast clinic under the 2ww and asked them to see me even more urgently than that due to the fact she believes this could be late stage breast cancer as unfortunately it is sadly rife in our family.
Anyway I've received my appointment, it's on 5th Jan. this makes it almost 5 weeks between my GP appointment and then. The pain has a increased a notch in the last few days, the breast has got a lot harder and is an awful lot bigger than my other.
I'm terrified. I know I aren't the only woman feeling this anxiety or fear and I know times are crazy right now and our NHS resources are much needed but I just can't help but feel this is urgent.
If it is a cyst the rapid rate it's grown in the last 2 weeks and the deformities it has caused to my breast makes me believe it could be at the point of rupturing hence the pain which could cause septacemia. So even though a cyst isn't urgent it could be if it's causing this pain. I just don't know what to do.
I called the breast clinic this morning and gave them my concerns and they promised to call me if there is a cancellation in the next 3 weeks but it really hasn't reassured me even though I know the lovely lady on the phone would have given me an appointment in a heartbeat if she could.

If I'm being out of order please just tell me as I maybe I could do with a reality check. I haven't slept for 48 hours because my mind is on overdrive. I have exhausted Google I've spent all of my time online and I'm afraid I've become obsessed with it. The not knowing is the worst. Any advice really will be much appreciated.

sounds like candidate for Botched

How big is the implant, OP?

I would say definitely don’t misuse a and e. However the last time someone posted this exact same thing, she actually had breast cancer. I think only you can decide whether it will wait or not. Will it be quicker than waiting until January.

I would do what your instinct tell you to do. Hopefully it’ll be nothing to worry about. Wishing you all the best💐💐💐

Just to say best of luck! Hopefully it'll just a silly thing

If you are swollen and in a lot of pain I would go, like with anything else

If you are in pain and it is increasing in size, go to A&E. A very good friend of mine got diagnosed with bowel cancer via an A&E visit. It's not true they can't help you.

That sounds horrendous. Ring every day, be persistent, tell them it's growing all the time, really fight for your corner. I hope you get seen ASAP

A&E won’t help and if you go private it can slow down results via the NHS. I saw a private consultant in the summer, he said if they did imaging then the NHS won’t and will wait for the private clinic to send them over. The systems are different and that can delay things. He knew though that it was most likely a cyst and told me to wait for my appointment with the NHS.

Thank you everyone for your replies

Please don't get me wrong here I'm not trying to bump myself up the queue for an appointment because I just have a general anxiety about a small lump, I really understand there are also others in the same position as me.
What was the size of a 50p 2 weeks ago is now past the size of a golfball and has covered almost half of the bottom of my breast causing it to be very hard and firm. It's more of a mass now it doesn't have a shape it feels flat if anything. It has also made my breast look twice the size of the other.
My main concern is that this is indeed very late stage breast cancer. Im 34 years old. Cancer is just something that seems to linger in our family and it's on both sides especially breast cancer and unfortunate to have lost some very close loved ones to it.
My symptoms genuinely do all point to cancer. Infection has already been ruled out, I don't have a hot to touch breast or anything like that. I do feel generally unwell, exhausted, I've vomited numerous times over the last few days but I've put it down to stress. My implant seems to be in place it's sewn in behind the muscle and there seems to be no disruption to it. It kind of isn't in the right place to be my implant if you get me, my breast tissue is a lot softer than the implant and so you can feel them mass is within the tissue. It's a silicone implant so it can't really break out into my breast area as it's behind a pocket. My doctor was very sure of this and seemed to be very concerned hence why she said I need to be seen within days.
My reason is if this is cancer which I do believe it is and have come to terms with it, I at least don't want to have another 4 weeks where treatment could be vital to me, so IF the hospital could do an ultrasound they could see at a glance what it could potentially be (they do have a general idea with imaging of tumours/cysts) it could at least be flagged a little quicker and I could at least have some more time. I feel like 4 weeks is a genuine death sentence. I just keep thinking of my son. It breaks my heart to think of him without me. I just want to know but I think the majority have definitely agreed above that I do need to wait and so I think I need to sort of give myself a shake down and just stop being selfish. I'm just frightened I guess. First time I've ever been through anything like this and I'm bloody terrified. X

Sorry to hear you're having such a hard time. Have you tried ringing your gp and asking if referal times are shorter at a different unit? I had some tests done recently and I was referred to the unit in the town next to me because referral times were shorter.

Also IF there is a chance it's a cyst that has grown massive like this there is a fear to me that in another 3 weeks by the time my appointment comes around, could it keep growing? is it going to burst? Am I going to be poisoned by it, I have been in pain like this for around 4/5 days now, it's gotten worse than it was when i saw the doctor. it's a constant ache and soreness and tenderness and my breast feels so heavy and hard. It's so strange to me I can see the bulge of the lump growing in the mirror.
If that's the case then I would say I do need to be assessed at A&E 'just in case' but again I can't really say for sure I believe that it is a cyst anyway. Late stage cancer grows fast.

I think you are pitching this is shall I go to A&E as I suspect I have breast cancer.
Many of us are saying go to A&E because you are in pain. You are a not a doctor and can't diagnose yourself. You are entitled to NHS support - don't feel bad about going to A&E because you are in pain.
My breast implants were also behind the muscle and never ruptured but I still had lumps in my breast tissue.
I hope you will be OK. If A&E doesn't think you are a priority you will be made to wait and I am guessing you will be OK with that. Good luck.

Honestly, I would just go to A & E. They might not be able to do all the tests but they have some machines that can x-ray etc. And there are also ultrasound machines which they can use on various bits of the body. (When my heart was checked when I was pregnant they actually played around so I could listen to my baby's heart beat) What it does mean is that you will be in the system. Say you are worried about the pain etc. And infections are not necessarily always picked up.

Look up your A & E service. They may triage over the phone. Check and see if there is a facility which says how busy they are.

Also breast ultrasound is a specialised area. So a general ultrasonographer wouldnt be able to do it. Only someone who is trained in breast ultrasound, who would be working in the breast clinics. Its easy for people to say when they arent in your shoes but your breast clinic appointment is usually the best place to wait for. As in most units you will be seen by the surgeon, have a physical examination, all your imaging, biopsies on the same day. And if they think you have cancer they will tell you there and then that is what they think. You will also be able to ask them questions you may have. Trusts are usually fined heavily for each 2weekwait breach so they will be trying to get you in sooner if they can..

Give it a go. I would.

Can family lend money to go to a private practice?

No one is saying A & E can diagnose breast cancer. They won't. However what they can do is flag anything up which needs urgent attention. Which would be reassuring at least in part.

Sorry you are going through this OP.
Do you have a fever? Any other signs of infection? If so go to A&E.

If not then I would ring your GP and breast clinic in the morning and ask to be seen urgently. Ring again in the afternoon. Ring again the next day. The day after.

A&E will not be able to help with the diagnosis of cancer. A CXR at this stage is not going to help. The ultrasound needs to be undertaken by a specialist that does breast screening.

Alternatively can you go private?

Ok so reading the comments I think the best point of call is to call the breast clinic each day and say I'm available for any cancellations. I actually live behind it so I could walk round there in about 3 minutes!
I'll wait it out. I'll if it gets worse over the weekend I will definitely call 111 for advice at the least just to get some form of reassurance.
Thank you everyone for your replies it really is appreciated. I think I'm just freaking the f out and it's so hard to understand truly unless you are in this position

OP - this is your life you're dealing with. There is nothing more important.

Call your GP tomorrow and the next day and the next day.

Yes there's a waiting list but you have very advanced symptoms and genetic history. You deserve to be prioritised. I had a breast exam under the TWW a few years back due to nipple discharge. I would have wanted you to be seen before me knowing all your symptoms.

Be a pester. Don't worry about how you're coming across.

It's your life. And as dramatic as it may sound, you need to fight for it.

All the best 💐♥️

Reading all the comments... how do you decide you should wait? You have symptoms that could be something other than breast cancer and that would fully justify a trip to A+E. Your breast has increased in size, has a rapidly expanding hard lump and you're in pain.

Best of luck

Well, do what you're happy with, I'm sure it will be fine.

However, A & E can refer. My mother's myeloma was picked up after a visit to A & E. They put her in an overnight ward and then moved her for the tests. When I had cancer myself I had to go in to A & E because of a temperature during my treatment. They do have facilities to get you the right help. If you use them just go through the appropriate channels and procedures. That's certainly not wasting their time or resources.

When I had cancer there was also a wait for referral. I had stage 3 several years ago and am still here. So don't give up hope.

There is no point phoning her GP to get a faster referral. Her GP has referred her as quickly as possible and can't get her seen faster. A rapidly growing painful breast lump is more suggestive of infection than cancer which is usually a painless lump. That is the reason for GP review in case antibiotics are needed

I'd go...Good luck 💐

Actually op I'd go to A&E to rule out anything else. Go at about 6am when they may be quieter.

My mother tells a story of my great grandmother about 60 years ago. She had a swollen breast and it was painful. One night it burst. She had a mastectomy. I don't believe it was breast cancer and she had a good 6 years afterwards dying at 86.

I often think of it because through the menopause I had a lot of cysts. There was one that was huge about 4cm by 8cm and it was on my left breast which was/is slightly smaller than my right. I'd put on a bit of weight so thought they had evened up. It was drained under ultrasound by an awfully nice chap who was very interested as it was so big. It was done privately under Prof Mokbel and he told me that many years ago such cysts could become so large that they caused danger without being cancerous.

At the end of the day it is causing you abject anxiety and it may need a quick review - so go.

@2Rebecca

There is no point phoning her GP to get a faster referral. Her GP has referred her as quickly as possible and can't get her seen faster. A rapidly growing painful breast lump is more suggestive of infection than cancer which is usually a painless lump. That is the reason for GP review in case antibiotics are needed

Yes they can, my GP got me seen quicker at another department. They absolutely can argue the case and request an urgent appt.