Scared of over diagnosis breast clinic

[ScaredOfOverDiagnosis]

I don't know if I've done the right thing.

I've booked a private consultation with Spire Little Aston to have my breast checked soon.

I had what I think is a lump under my armpit, I can't be sure, it can be an inflamed node. I've poked and prodded it so much now that I don't even know what I'm feeling.
I've managed to make the other armpit hurt as well by poking and prodding that one too for reference!

So, I don't know if I've booked unnecessarily.
I'm now worried about the unnecessary radiation I'll be exposing myself too.
As well as the over diagnosis issue.
Also, I think it was this hospital that had a surgeon doing unnecessary work on women with breast issues - I can't quite remember the doctor or clinic.

I'm die to start IVF and now feel I've messed that up.
I am 42 so the thought of cancer doesn't scare me but the thought the treatment will kill any chances if me having a baby.

I know wished I hadn't booked the breast appointment.

Anyone been to this particular hospital?
Do they push additional extras?
Or am I being a worry wart due to the surgeon that went to court?

Apologies for the spelling mistakes - anxiety!

I remember the case. I'd think they'd be even more safeguards there as a result of that than in other places. You don't have to act on anything they advise. Get yourself on the NHS track as well.

Madison - my doctors are useless. They won't answer the phone. That's why I'm going private. However, now it feels as though the bump isn't there. I'm beginning to think it was a pulled muscle that I prodded too much and I flammed the node.

Anyone had an inflamed node and mistaken it for a lump?

I am 42 so the thought of cancer doesn't scare me but the thought the treatment will kill any chances if me having a baby

Hope it's nothing to worry about. However you have no idea how you would react to a cancer diagnosis. For that YABU.

Yes I had inflamed lymph nodes after my Covid jabs and went to the breast clinic all was ok

Get it checked for peace of mind

The radiation is minimal

I've just researched the consultant that will be seeing me.
He seems like a good and decent man with ethics.
So, no longer fearing over diagnosis or a Ian Paterson experience.

Now my only worry is if there is something sinister what will I do with my IVF treatment in January and will I never be a mother :(

Respectfully, do you have a history of health anxiety?

If you were unfortunate enough to receive a cancer diagnosis, then you'd need to discuss your wish to have children with the consultant. They can advise you of the risks involved with the appropriate treatment options.

It is either cancer or it isn't, I don't know how they could over diagnose you?

I am 41, found a lump in my armpit in August and now have 2 separate breast cancers, I'm almost midway through chemo with surgery & radiation still to come, plus 10 years of hormone therapy. You have no idea how you will react to that sort of news.

I really hope it is nothing, but please get it checked.

15:18WeeFae

So sorry to hear that.
I don't understand 2 separate cancers or 2 separate breast cancers? What are the differences if you don't mind me asking?
Thanks

I think the overdiagnosis issue is more for screening mammograms for women with no symptoms or lumps. If you have a lump then getting it checked is the right thing to do. If nothing else it will help put your mind at ease that it’s either nothing or you can get the issue treated.

I have breast cancer in each breast, but they are of different types, stages and grades. I only found the 2nd one due to the thorough checks I had after finding the first (MRI, CT, ultrasounds).

If they suspect cancer, they will do a biopsy, which will detect cancer cells, what type they are, if they are hormone or HER2 fed etc.

@ScaredOfOverDiagnosis

I've just researched the consultant that will be seeing me. He seems like a good and decent man with ethics. So, no longer fearing over diagnosis or a Ian Paterson experience.

Now my only worry is if there is something sinister what will I do with my IVF treatment in January and will I never be a mother :(

If you have cancer, now isn't the time for IVF anyway. You can't have treatment while pregnant and surely wouldnt want to have a baby and then have advanced/incurable cancer.

If you have cancer now, it will need treating first.

This would be out of your control and unforeseeable.

I wish you all the best, both in your cancer investigation and in your IVF.

Either way it sounds like you could benefit from counselling. IVF and pregnancy generally is very anxiety provoking. It sounds like you aren't coming from a very happy and relaxed place so may want to see someone to help with this

From personal experience, does anyone know if you are allowed to shave your armpits before the mammogram or ultrasound?
Also, I imagine you should not wear deodorant but should certain shower gels be avoided to make sure the tests are not ruined?

My friend is due to have a hysterectomy at Little Aston Spire next month and has had other surgery there previously. She is having it through the NHS , not private but says they are excellent.
I think you should go and have your check for peace of mind and hopefully it will be nothing to worry about.
As someone who has had breast cancer trust me if you got a diagnosis it would take priority over everything else.
Keeping my fingers crossed for you .

@ScaredOfOverDiagnosis

From personal experience, does anyone know if you are allowed to shave your armpits before the mammogram or ultrasound? Also, I imagine you should not wear deodorant but should certain shower gels be avoided to make sure the tests are not ruined?

I carried on as normal before my tests/biopsy, so shaved/washed/deodorant as normal.

After diagnosis, I switched to a natural deodorant and no longer have underarm hair due to chemo!

Sorry for your anxiety, OP. Sounds like a lot going on. If it helps, the radiation dose is equivalent to what you'd normally get from background radiation (food, cosmic rays, environment) every couple of months anyway so don't worry about it. On a population level it's important when you are considering mammography (breast xray) for thousands of women as part of a screening programme. Not something an individual should worry about when there's a good reason to do the scan.
The reason they ask you to avoid deodorants is because they contain particles of heavy metals like aluminium that show up as specks on the mammogram and one of the ways of identifying a cancer is that they make specific patterns of specks of calcium. It just causes confusion for the person looking at your mammogram essentially. Soaps are not an issue as they don't tend to contain the same materials and are rinsed off anyway. Shaving also fine.

Just wanted to say that you are doing absolutely the right thing getting it checked. It felt like my lump had disappeared between finding it and getting it checked, but it hadn't. I've just had my mastectomy and will be starting chemo after Xmas. Other posters are right, go ahead as usual with shaving and shower gels, just be more careful with deodorants. If my experience is anything to go by, you will be showered with information leaflets at every stage, so don't worry too much about doing the 'wrong' thing. If you have any questions feel free to message me.

@ScaredOfOverDiagnosis

Anyone had an inflamed node and mistaken it for a lump?

Several. Once after shaving (probably cut myself which resulted in slight infection), after a virus and after my last Pfizer vaccine.

So I’ve said YABU as it’s highly unlikely to be cancer.

With my IVF coming up my anxiety is spiralling.

I remembered that I've started to use a new deodorant that I thought smelt too strong. It's triple strength!

Recently I had to drive many hours.

Also, I wore an old bra that was too tight.

I guess any one of these things could have caused the pain, intermittent lumpiness.

My last jab was in August so not jab related.

I'm feeling a bit calmer now.
Exhausted my mind with worry.

Why havent you gone to your GP? I had/have an armpit lump, and when I went to my GP to have it checked she gave me a thorough exam (both arm pits and both breasts) and she was able to, largely, put my mind at ease. She suspected a swollen lymph node, however I had no other symptoms and she could feel only healthy breast tissue on examination. She referred me to the breast clinic to err on the side of caution. It was a 4 week wait for the breast clinic, on the day of my appointment I was with the consultant for 5 minutes! She physically examined both breasts and arm pits, and said straight away the lump was a tendon; she moved my arm up and down to let me feel it shrinking and then swelling. No scans or further checks required.

Little Aston Spire were very thorough
I've just had my check up
Right breast has a white area which they are not sure of. It could be dense breast tissue or something more sinister. They need to send me to a larger hospital that has a Tomasis? (probably got that wrong) mammogram machine.
Although I'm 42 they have said my breasts are quite firm, what they expect from a younger patient. So they don't believe it's anything sinister but they have to check it out.
The left armpit lymph node is larger than they would like so they want me to return in 4 weeks and have another ultrasound done. If it's still there they will have to stick a needle in it.
They were really patient and kind and helpful.
They will write to my GP and ask them to send me to a hospital and for further tests on the NHS.
I can only hope my useless doctor's surgery pick up on the letter and actually action something.
In the meantime I'm going to hunt this machine down and see if I can get it done privately.
Apparently, the large machine at the larger hospitals is only done via the NHS pathway.
My problem with that is my GP surgery do not answer their phones and when they do all appointments are gone and you cannot pre book appointments
I would rather pay and get it over and done with rather than be at the mercy of my useless GP surgery.

I'll keep updating this thread as I know it helps me to read the experience of others.

Plus, sometimes the poster doesn't always come back and it makes you wonder what happened to them.

@ScaredOfOverDiagnosis Today's outcome sounds more promising than not. Hopefully it has set your mind somewhat at ease, and you get the further check (and hopefully complete peace of mind) soon

21:44GaolBhoAlba

Thank you

I need to learn to be calm, as this can take a few weeks to get a complete answer.

I am feeling a bit better as they kept saying these additional tests are just to be sure.
They didn't seem worried so that is reassuring.