To think a GP won't take me seriously with breast pain but no lump.

[Hotchocolateand5marshmellows]

I'm currently psyching myself up to make a doctor's appointment because I've got pain in my armpit/breast tissue that's been bothering me for a few months. It's like a burning pain, not related to my periods, and I'm not pregnant or breastfeeding. (Had a baby 7 years ago and breastfed him for while and not been pregnant since.)

I've been checking myself all the time due to the pain and can't feel anything. I'm 30 years old. Just feel like I'm bound to be fobbed off.
I'd like to know what should be done for pain with no other symptoms? At the very least I will ask the doctor to check the breast for me to see if they can feel anything.

I have been referred for a mammogram in the same situation as you twice. I do have a close family history of breast cancer though.

Same, I had a similar issue (the GP did feel some enlarged lymph nodes as well) so referred me for a scan. All was good and the breast clinic were amazing. The pain eventually went and to be honest I think I made it worse touching it all the time.

Thankyou both. There's no history in my family.
It's the thought of being made to feel like a timewaster that's giving me anxiety because I've had that before. But I know I need to go get it checked.

Also glad you're both OK!

Get it checked, I did the same with similar symptoms and was referred to the breast clinic - didn’t need a scan in the end but they had a good old check and were very reassuring. (Mine turned out to be cyclic mastalgia, much helped by switching to non wired bras , evening primrose oil and quitting alcohol)

ALWAYS have any health concerns checked out OP. If you're made to feel like a time waster then make a formal complaint about the particular GP and request to see another.

I had something similar, a sore patch that constantly felt hot on the inside since I stopped bf 6 months ago, but it also changed texture throughout my cycle. I went to the Drs about 1 month ago and was referred to the hospital breast clinic where they checked, and then mammogram and ultrasound. All fine thankfully.

I was referred on the 2ww pathway for this (as all breast symptoms are, even were not suspected to be cancer). Had a mammogram and all was well, funnily enough all resolved now - I think a perimenopause thing.

I don't think you'll be fobbed off. I had a similar situation - saw GP who couldn't feel anything wrong but referred me to breast clinic anyway. Breast clinic also couldn't feel anything wrong, but offered me a mammogram then and there, as I was almost in the age range to become eligible for them. That was clear (and surprisingly un-traumatic).

And that was all during the Covid pandemic, so I definitely wasn't fobbed off!

They will take it seriously, yes. I went to my GP with breast pain a few years ago and explained that I couldn't feel a lump but had a very painful area in one breast. I'd only had a few days of pain, too, nothing long-term like yours. As it turned out, because my pain was short term and he couldn't feel any lump either, he said he wasn't worried and suggested that we wait two weeks and then if the pain was still there I'd have a mammogram, but to go back immediately if things got worse or there were any changes. As it turned out, the pain did go away after a few days so I'd probably just damaged some tissue or had ruptured benign cyst or something. However, the GP reiterated several times that I had done absolutely the correct thing by coming to get it checked out.

They will (or certainly should) take this seriously and refer you to get it checked. Lumps are often what each of us check for but people can have breast cancer without any lump and others can have lumps without having breast cancer, so overall, lumps (or lack of) can be a bit of a red herring.

I was referred for tests when one of my boobs got mysteriously enlarged (it’s always been bigger than the other one but literally overnight it got significantly bigger and was tender.) I couldn’t feel any actual lumps and nor could the GP but referred me anyway. All was fine in my case; just an unexplained thing- probably hormonal.

I went for a similar sounding pain a few years ago - burning/stabbing sort of feeling in one breast that would come and go at random times. I was referred to the breast clinic right away. It turned out to be costachondritis which is an inflammation of the tissue around the ribs, usually due to over-exercising (especially planking I think) but being behind my breast it felt like that was where the pain was! Hope all is okay.

Why do you think they won't take it seriously? It is true that breast pain is infrequently related to cancer and that the GP has referral guidelines to follow but that really doesn't mean they won't take your symptoms seriously and make a plan.

GPs see people DYING BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T GO TO THE DOCTOR SOON ENOUGH.
They will be absolutely fine with you making an appointment, saying what you said here, and asking for anything serious to be ruled out and for the pain to be addressed.

They know that if they check enough people, they can help avoid the heartbreaking situation where they do an examination and say, "There is some cragginess to your liver and so I'm referring you to be seen next week," already anticipating the referral to Macmillan and Marie Curie in the weeks to come...

There was no history in my family. Please get checked out. If it's fine, and it probably is, at least you've got a baseline for when you age into the screening programme. And some reassurance in the meantime.