Another I've found a lump post

[talpiog]

I'm sorry to be posting yet another I found a breast lump, but I really just need to share my worries.

I've had a cyst in my left breast (upper inner quadrant) for 7 years or so, which has never hurts or changed size or shape. It was checked out by a mammogram and so I know it's ok and I've just accepted it.

However, in the last week I've noticed that it's either changed shape or there is something else growing next to it/under it. It now feels like there is a shelf / ledge next to it and feels quite heavy. I'm on HRT these days so I suspect it's just a cyst.

I'm using DHs private healthcare to try and get a speedy appointment but they wont even speak to me until Tuesday.

I'm meant to be working abroad for 2.5 weeks from the end of this coming week, and really don't know what to do.

Chances are it's just another cyst, but should I tell work I can't go until I've had a scan? Or should I just go to NHS GP tomorrow and get on 2 week pathway knowing that I'll have an appointment slot for when I return? Or should I just find a walk in clinic tomorrow and throw some savings at getting a mammogram myself?

Head is a bit of a mess.

So my appointment has been confirmed for Wednesday. No idea what to think or how to prepare for the appointment.

I feel like I should go armed with a lot of questions but all I can think about is how much of my boob are you going to take away and when is it happening. I'm really struggling to get my head round this.

Thinking of you, hope the appointment answers some questions for you.

Are you back on the NHS pathway now? They’re really efficient - you would have had scans/biopsy same day in my area.

Good luck today OP. I had a very similar experience years ago, which started with ‘it’s a cyst’, then ‘but there’s another lump which looks benign’ but then the biopsy came back as ‘probably malignant’ and then I had surgery which concluded ‘normal breast tissue’. Talk about a roller coaster! I have had another scare more recently. So you never really know the outcome til you get there but at least you have been prepared for bad news and this horrendous waiting, speculating and over analysing will be over, and you will have a plan, thinking of you.

And so the journey continues. Biopsy still inconclusive, as was the MRI.

But some signs of precancer, and also swollen lymph nodes, which need to be scanned again next week and perhaps biopsied.

What remains certain is the operation, and next steps after that will very much depend on the biopsy of the mass.

Exhausting, but it's still not a cancer diagnosis so that's a win! 🏆

Gosh OP it is a rollercoaster for you! Surely they’ll just remove the lump and not a partial mastectomy?

It's quite a big mass apparently (he said 4x4 which I think sounds small but he said is quite big) hence why it's going to be open surgery under general rather than local, but they also want to remove some (all?) of the dense tissue in that part of the breast as they can't clearly see everything on the ultrasound or MRI.

I think they are the same operation though, just different terminology used by different surgeons? When I've googled they seem to be the same thing.

I just want it all to be done and dusted now.

Ah thanks for updating. The op is done and hopefully some clearer answers will come soon .Dis the scan of your lymph nodes show anything? As for feeling vain, of course it’s a valid concern. My DM had a full mastectomy and it was the loss of the chest fullness that she missed rather than the actual breast as such. We forget that breasts have an upward tail area towards the collar bone . Hopefully your op has preserved that. Rest up . Good luck.💐

Sorry, I felt I'd shared some info in the posts that was identifiable so asked them to be deleted.

Basically I confirmed I'd had the op and was sore, and whilst the boob looks ok, it's very different size to my other one. And that I felt very self conscious about it, but also embarrassed at being so vain when there are bigger things at play.

Re: lymph nodes, the follow up ultrasound showed that the inflammation was gone. So I didn't need them biopsied / removed. I had an iron / water mix injected into the tumour prior to the op which the surgeon then tracked to the lymph nodes so that if the biopsy shows cancer they know which lymph nodes to go back to.

Yes I **saw your post. No worries. Good news re lymph inflammation. Really hope it’s good news but if not the best news at least it’s gone now . Rest now and recover well

Just posting again to say I received the biopsy results and it was (is?) intermediate DCIS. Clear margins so that's good, but will need a course of radiotherapy. I'm a bit sad and a bit relieved. But also really happy I checked things out rather than ignoring it.

Thanks for updating. Not the worst news but not quite what you’d hoped for. It’s a very good prognosis for DCIS isn’t it? How are you recovering from the op?

I'm doing ok thanks. I'm going out and doing long walks each day. I've not got the full range of movement back in my arm / shoulder yet which has surprised me but the pain isn't massively noticeable apart from twinges now and then or when I forget and stretch!

I guess if it had to be anything DCIS is the one to get, but it still feels a bit crap - I've still had to have a chunk of my boob removed and I will still have radiotherapy!

I understand and didn’t mean to diminish the crap. Avoiding chemo is a big bonus as DM felt worse with that than anything else! She found the rad therapy very doable. Sadly hers was invasive so a different prognosis. I wish you well. Hope you can start to focus on next year once your treatment starts , with a view to putting all of all of this behind you.

Have you looked on the breast cancer threads? I know there is lots of support on there and chats about DCiS in particular.

No, I'm sorry if I came across as snarky. I just meant how mad is it that this thing that's meant to be the best case scenario still means surgery and still means radiotherapy. Just feels so mad!

But I know it's just because I'm going through this right now, and with a bit of perspective I can / will see that I am indeed very fortunate it's been caught so early - overall treatment, survival, reoccurrence rates etc - that's all on my side.

No worries at all. It does seem out of proportion for the diagnosis and I’ve always thought that about DCIS. Apparently there is research to try to find out which cases would progress and which wouldn’t ever advance. More cases are being discovered due to mammogram that would never actually need treatment. Bummer.