Drinking wine over the years- could I have caused it

[CobaltRewind]

Ok, I don’t know yet if I have anything wrong or if the lump in my breast is benign.

I’m on the 2ww and very worried.

I’ve been goggling what a cancer lump is compared to a not cancer lump. My lump is hard, which is worrying.

I know there is a link between drinking and cancer. If so, have I caused this?

I’ve 2 primary school kids, this is scary. I can’t sleep. 😕

I know it’s incredibly hard right now, but try not to worry. Can you distract yourself with anything?

Plenty of lumps turn out to be benign. Even if there is a problem, treatment options are excellent.

You might have increased your cancer risk a bit if you’ve been drinking heavily for a long time, but that doesn’t mean you’d have caused yourself to get cancer.

There are plenty of heavy drinkers and smokers who are still puffing and sipping away cancer-free in their 80s. And there are 30-year-olds vegan non-drinkers who get stomach cancer.

Cancer is risk factor crossed with bad luck. But nobody actually causes themselves to get it.

For now, try to keep your mind off it, do things that relax or distract you and focus on taking care of yourself.

I've had loads of lumps and they were all benign - chances are, yours is too.

No you can't 'cause' it from drinking, and anyway lots of people drink wine! Try and distract yourself, as PP said above. The 2ww is horrible!

No, you didn’t “cause” it. And it is more than likely nothing. I know it’s really frightening, I found a lump too and properly panicked. I fell down the google rabbit hole and was convinced it was something sinister but breast clinic confirmed it was just a cyst. The waiting is the worst part, try to distract yourself and honestly, stop googling. Good luck xx

I have a few friends diagnosed with breast cancer over the years and none of them drunk much. Fingers crossed your lump turns out not to be cancerous but it’s definitely not your fault.

Dear Poster

Please don't worry but have you heard of

Fibrocystic Breasts?

This is very common but benign

Have you had a mammogram ?

Thank you for the reply.

The only person I’ve seen is my GP, currently waiting for the appointment letter.

I'm also on the 2WW, I saw my GP on Tuesday and am waiting to hear from the hospital. I'm trying really hard not to Google, but it's hard, isn't it.

I'm having a glass of wine at the moment on the basis that one can't make things any worse!

Fingers crossed you hear soon and get good news.

I hope you get seen soon, it’s now almost 2 weeks since I saw my GP and haven’t heard when I need to go to the hospital.

I don't think it's helpful to wonder whether alcohol has been the decisive factor in any particular health issue. I hope your lump turns out to be nothing (many do!) and, as PPs have suggested, finding ways to distract yourself and focusing on things you can control right now, rather than dwelling on what might be (I know it's flipping hard), is going to be way more helpful than googling about links between alcohol and cancer.

For anyone else who may be on this thread for information about the links between alcohol and cancer, there's loads of information here: Alcohol and cancer | Alcohol Change UK

@CobaltRewind thank you. I've decided that if I've not heard from the hospital on Monday I'm going to call amd ask how quickly I should expect to receive a letter.

If it's two weeks to be seen by the hospital, I'd expect to receive a letter in week one with an appointment for week two, if that makes sense?