Large Solid Breast Lump

[Jelly4444]

I'm absolutely scared to death. I found a 6cm solid breast lump that appeared from nowhere. I've had a mammogram, ultrasound and a core biopsy. The ultrasound technician said that the lump was well circumscribed but is solid and has vascularity. Its definitely not a cyst.

My GP told me it was probably just a cyst and it's now 7 weeks since I found it. My results are Wednesday afternoon. Has anyone had anything similar?

I found a similar sized lump last week. Have been to the GP and referred but am still waiting for an appointment to have it properly checked at a breast clinic. My imagination is running riot.
Did they give you any indication of what they thought it was when they said it wasn't a cyst? Did your referral take 7 weeks?
I really hope you get good news on Wednesday.

So mine also appeared out of nowhere and grew rapidly, from when I first saw the doctor to being seen at the referral was nearly four weeks.

My GP, who I saw twice - said she was 99% certain it was a cyst. At the hospital I had a scan, biopsy and mammogram and they told me then and there they thought it was breast cancer. Did they tell you anything if they thought it wasn't a cyst, what did they think it was?

I got results about a week or two later confirming breast cancer.

I have now finished chemo and having surgery in a few weeks.

I'm sorry to hear that you are going through the same thing. I'm in Ireland so your referral might take less time. It's taken 5 weeks through the private system here. Ridiculous! I think my GP assumed it was a cyst & possibly didn't mark it as urgent.

The radiologist said that my lymph nodes seemed to be clear so hopefully that is a good sign? There was a suggestion of a phyllodes tumour (they tend to be benign but can be malignant) or a fibroadenoma from the radiologist but the consultant wasn't giving me any indications. She just said that she always worries about breast lumps in woman my age (44).

What is your lump like @Ssssssssh? Mine is oval, smooth and movable. All the signs of a cyst but its definitely not one.

@RiverFlowers I'm so sorry to hear what you have been through. I hope you are doing OK now. I bet you are relieved to have finish chemo.

I feel like our experiences have been similar and I'm preparing myself for bad news.

The radiologist did the scans, she didnt suggest cancer but she didn't suggest it wasn't cancer either. She did briefly mention a phyllodes tumour. Can I ask what your lump was like? The radiologist said that mine has vascularity- I get the feeling that most vascular lumps tend to be malignant.

@Jelly4444 I’ve had a phyllodes recently - initially they thought it was a cyst but then ultrasound showed differently! Mine was benign thankfully and smaller than yours but felt exactly the same, movable, smooth and oval. They aren’t very common according to my consultant.

I had surgery to remove it as they can grow to be large and also with a good margin removed as they also can grow back if any bit is left.

I hope you get some news soon and it’s nothing sinister x

@DominoRules I have a small amount of hope that it's just a benign phyllodes tumour that can be removed. Did you have a long wait for results? Was the operation OK?

My fibroadenoma was large, smooth and moveable.

Sending very best wishes. These things are nervewracking.

@saturnspinkhoop the radiologist did say it could be a fibroadenoma but that it probably wasn't as fibroadenomas tend to show up in younger women.

Thank you for your well wishes! I've lost 6lbs since last week on the "pure anxiety" diet!!

@Jelly4444 I got my results after 5 days in a phonecall from my consultant and was booked in for surgery a couple of weeks after (I was private though).

The surgery was fine, a day case and sore for a couple of days then a bit uncomfortable for a week or so. I have about a 2 inch scar around my nipple and a bit of a dip in my boob now but it doesn’t bother me!

I’m 43 too so really hoping yours is similar

It was kind of firm and oval, I felt like I could move it about a little bit? It grew really fast over four weeks then kind of stopped growing - it got to about 7-8cm total.

I am 36, so I assume they thought by age would mean it was most likely a cyst, but I am unfortunately one if the unlucky ones it seems as even my generic testing came back negative so there is no "reason" for it to have happened.

My lymph nodes are clear apart from one with a "micro cancer cell" - biopsies are negative but it flagged up on a PET scan - so when I have surgery they are removing it.

It's a shitty time but I will say, if it is cancer - it's not the end of the world - treatments are really good. I have gotten through six months of chemo feeling relatively ok, I mean some days have been crap but it wasn't as bad as I feared.

Hopefully you get answers soon.

I’m 35 and had a fibroadenoma removed last year. They wouldn’t normally remove it but it was growing quickly - sounds similar to yours (oval and smooth).
I had it removed under general anaesthetic and was in and out same day. There’s a scar around my nipple but I was just happy to have it out even though it wasn’t cancer!

try not to worry, I’m sure everything will be ok x

I know it won't change how you feel but try not to worry too much (as it won't change anything). IME radiologists have a very good idea of what they can see, although they can't formally tell you until there is concrete evidence (biopsy result).

For a different perspective, I was told at my mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy that they would be very surprised if mine wasn't cancer, they were right. I was fortunate that mine was treatable.

Hope you get a good result

@RiverFlowers this sounds exactly like my experience. The lump just appeared. I don't think its changed size since I found it though. I can move the lump a lot. It moves pretty freely- I can probably move it 1.5inches in any direction.

I have a late appointment with the consultant 3.45pm. I'm convinced I'm her last patient so she can deliver the bad news.

If when you walk in, they have a breast care nurse with them - it's usually a sign they are going to tell you bad news - or so I have found.

Hopefully for you, it's nothing. The odds are in your favour, it's like 9/10 breast lumps are nothing serious.

If it is something, things move pretty quickly from that point.

Yes! I was with mother when she got her results. There was a nurse there to usher us out and explain more. My mother was stage 0 to 1 with no obvious lump so it was just a lumpectomy and a small amount of radiation. My lump is giant in comparison.

Any new OP?

My results are this evening. The consultant rang to say that, on the mammogram, it appears to be a fibroadenoma but there are some suspicions around it. I don't know what that means really as fibroadenomas are benign. The biopsy results have not been sent to him yet.

I hope you get clarification soon. It being a fibroadenoma is great news. You may well be offered surgical removal. I had mine removed as a day case and it was v straightforward.

@saturnspinkhoop Its the bit about it being suspicious that is making me stressed. Fibroadenomas are supposed to be benign. I'm definitely having it removed. The consultant said he would remove it as soon as he looked at it.

I don't know if this helps at all, but I had a 10cm lump found on a routine mammogram which showed up looking just like cancer and was expecting the worse. It was in fact something called a Radial Scar, which is benign. I had a vacuum biopsy, but the lump is still in situ 6 years later. I do try and have a mammogram every year though to check there are no changes!

@Pebble21uk That was a huge lump! I'm glad it's not a problem and that it's being looked after.

Post back op if you can, best of luck x I had a small lump which turned out to be nothing. I know that worry until it’s over x

I had a phyllodes, try not to worry until you need. It’s grew to be huge incredibly fast, it was 2cm at the scan and then by the surgery day 11 days later it was 7cm.

Good luck!

Best of luck for today OP... waiting is so awful, at least you will have some clarification of what you are dealing with. Unmumsnetty hugs!

Thanks everyone! I've never really realised that women waited for these results for so long. It should be a 24 hour turn around.