Breast cancer or an infection? Scared myself silly...

[GetOffTheRoof]

I've had a very painful right breast for about 5 days now. Mostly the nipple, but it's also very sensitive and sore all around the areola and into the tissue. Nothing visible on the skin above it. No lumps I can find in breasts of armpits.

Last night, I realised the entire breast is now swollen and much bigger than my left. It's warmer to touch, still very sore and no visible marks although thinking about it I've had lots of tiny whitehead spots on both my breasts this last week or so.

I've made the error of Googling to know whether to see the GP and it basically says mastitis or inflammatory breast cancer....

Not possible to be pregnant (male infertility, the coil and lack of sex!). Never had children so never breastfed etc. No history of breast cancer in the family. I'm 42, female and overweight so in the common criteria for this cancer type. My boobs are big - 42F bra if it's relevant to things like checking for lumps.

I'll ring the GP first thing on Monday although we do have an OOH GP service in Cornwall so I'm not sure whether to ring them?

Any advice? (other than "A&E now"!)

A colleague of mine had an infection in her breast and was told to see her GP straight away. I would ring 111 now in your position.

I think you're right. I've done a 111 online consult, call back due within 24hrs.

Hope you get sorted soon. Colleague was on antibiotics for 14 days so best to get proper advice.

Had a call back from a nurse. Lots of questions, but they aren't prescribing antibiotics or anything right now unless more symptoms appear. I think she thinks it's hormonal, but I've never had sore breasts at any point in my cycle, ever.

If it's still sore and swollen on Monday I'm to contact my GP (if I can ever get through).

Still worried and a bit frightened. DH is being lovely but I haven't said what really scared me - it's that the survival statistics for inflammatory breast cancer is about 40% after 5 years.

Obv hoping it all goes away soon....

Insist on a face to face appt with your GP or advanced nurse practitioner. They can arrange a fast track appointment with the breast clinic. It is much more likely to be nothing to worry about but inflammatory breast cancer needs ruling out.

Glad you spoke to someone OP. I was thinking about you! Try not to worry. I find looking at statistics relating to cancer can be hugely reassuring. Hope things resolve soon. X

When I say statistics, sorry I mean chance of it actually being anything. I think inflammatory breast cancer is quite rare? Obviously of course get it checked out though if it continues. All the very best to you OP.

I had a phone consult GP insisted on seeing me. It was warm, swollen and very sore. I had vile antibiotics horse sized pills. Six months later it appeared again, this time antibiotics and a warning to go to hospital for intravenous treatment if it got worse. I was also running a temperature. All this during lockdowns.

Was all clear at cancer clinic but was told to wear a non wired bra day and night make sure straps tight which meant I was well supported.

It's the right boob I had bad mastitis 20 years ago the breast is damaged. It's aching now so I've adjusted bra

Watch out for red lines running outward that means an infection

I had something similar, when I laid down you could actually see a huge protruding lump and it was warm and tender. I was given antibiotics by GP as well as told I needed to go to breast clinic but decided to pay privately to be seen rather than wait 2-3 weeks. It was an infected cyst which they sucked the contents out of with a needle. Problem solved. I would ask myself if it was breast cancer would it have developed so quickly.

Thanks Mystery! It's, the likelihood is fairly low but I've no risk factors for mastitis either....

Not sure I own anything except a sports bra with no underwire, but will check!

I'm going to beg to be seen on Monday - 111 suggested a phone call but I'm not really happy with that. My breast is literally a cup or two bigger than it should be and I'm not sure that came across to the nurse today on the phone.

Ugh, stupid panicky brain.

@MrsMattMurdock unfortunately yes, IBC does come up that quickly and it's treated as a stage 3 cancer. Hence I'm shitting myself. No other lumps or bumps or I'd probably be slightly more reassured that a cyst was a stronger possibility.

I'm very glad lots of other people had benign outcomes though!!

Let us know how you get on OP.
I noticed an itch on my left breast 2 days ago and made the mistake of looking on google, which of course suggested inflammatory breast cancer.
Where mine itchy it’s incredibly sore and feels like a mosquito itch.
I’m going to go braless for a few days as I’m sure it’s just irritation.
It’s only natural to worry though, IBC is incredibly rare so just hang on to that until it hopefully gets ruled out

I would ask myself if it was breast cancer would it have developed so quickly

Inflammatory breast cancer can progress to invasive stage 3/4 very quickly. Don’t dismiss anything, get it checked.

I had a breast abscess like that - fingers crossed its something like thar. You could see an OOH GP?

The nurse should have seen you. I'd email saying it's got worse if phone call doesn't work. My GP talked of sepsis. Are you running a temperature???

@justasking111 No - no fever, no visible marks on the skin, no tracking lines etc, feel OK in myself. I'm hot to trot on things like sepsis .

Is it red? I woke up once with a breast like this aged 14 and was soo embarrassed to have to show it to the (very kind female) dr. She told me it was mastitis and I had antibiotics which cleared it up. I remember it just came out of the blue and my boob was a lot bigger than the other, very tender and sore, warm to the touch and red and I felt quite rubbish in myself. Can’t remember if I had a temperature.

Hey 👋

Thought I'd throw my two pence in to perhaps help you rationalise a little.

Do not Google anything - I say this from two perspectives.

Firstly - I'm a journalist but also a copywriter. A lot of my work can consist of SEO copy to boost rankings. You will see the 'bad' stuff as soon as you Google because that's what ranks highest; these sites publishing this information do so because that will boost their rankings. I'm not saying it's completely factually incorrect, but it's massively over egged and for those who aren't medically trained it's frightening because we don't understand that there are more reasons for illness rather than just the scary shit that is put out there over literally ANY symptom.

Secondly - I am also a 5 year plus pancreatic cancer survivor. I am 'cured'. I am in a 5% statistic. Don't pay any attention to statistics - they mean nothing and change almost daily. Each case is completely individual and I'm living proof that you can be in the survivor group when the odds are against you.

This will be something that can be fixed but obviously get yourself seen by a doctor. Get off Google, remember that you're not medically trained and neither are the people writing the things that Google throws at us.

Take care, love x

I never had tracking or redness - just swollen sore boob
Honestly- wait til monday see the GP

@GetOffTheRoof Most definitely ask to be seen in person asap. If you need to be seen in the breast clinic, the gp will need to refer you. I have had triple negative breast cancer myself, and the sooner you get it checked out the better. It may not be as bad as you're thinking. And tbh Google isn't always your friend 🙃
As well as having a little abnormality in my lung that I'm currently having scans for, the PET CT scan also picked up a small mass in my right boob next to the scar tissue from 2010's op, which i can now feel as a separate, squishy lump.. joy. 🙄 Lol. But hey ho and all that. You push them on Monday, try insisting that you be seen in person. Good luck and all that!

Hi,
Please go and be seen today. I was actually diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer last year, and if I hadn't demanded to be seen right away at the first sign of my nipple change in sensitivity who knows if I'd be around today.
My doctor thought I had mastitis when she saw me after I walked in without an appointment, but 2 days into antibiotics my breast started swelling a bit and around the nipple started to turn red.
I was super fit, healthy and zero cancer in my family. It's a rare cancer but any change in the breast should be looked into as most people with it don't have any risk factors.
Hopefully you just have a little infection, but if antibiotics don't clear it up fast please get follow up.
Fingers crossed all is minor and you're fine.
All the best!

Hi @Love2Live I'm so sorry to hear of your own diagnosis. How have you been? How are you doing today?

I'm booked in at 2.20pm - I got up at 6.30am to send an e-consult in as soon as it opened today (as they close it over the weekend) and I got a call at about 10am to book me in.

I think it's a bit less swollen today, but nevertheless it's still flipping sore. The nipple is the worst part tbh.

Dr couldn't find lumps either. No visible signs of anything happening except the swelling I can feel.

So she thinks it's hormonal and a mid-cycle change, which is a new one as I've never had anything like this before. Especially not one breast swelling up!

The plan is watchful waiting. Any hints of discharge, rash, puckering etc I'm to come straight back and she'll refer me to the early mammogram unit.

🤷🏼‍♀️

I had a very sore and infected breast in the summer, although mine was visibly red in parts, as well as being swollen. I saw the GP who prescribed me antibiotics and kept a very close eye on it as was concerned it might be an absess. I'd be trying to see a doctor if I were you OP.

Also, I just had a follow up mammogram and breast check, at the request of my GP.