Hand holding please, breast pain/redness, scan tomorrow

[SirVixofVixHall]

I am absolutely terrified and barely holding it together. My close friend died of inflammatory breast cancer two years ago and my symptoms are very similar to hers. I am peri-menopausal, and have had pain in both breasts on and off for ages, seemed hornonal. It has been worse in one breast, and on the weekend I noticed that this breast is also pinky red on the lower part. I don't know how long this has been there as it is harder to see standing up, but very clear if I lie down. I've booked a private scan in the morning, but I feel sick with fright, can't eat, can't sleep. My dds are young, my youngest is only 9. My friend only lived for 18 months.

I can't offer much advice as have no experience of this but sending and thinking of you. Let us know how you get on.
Waiting for tests is horrible but at least it'll all be over and done with by tomorrow.
I had breast pain in one breast a few months ago that gradually went - lots of people told me that something like 95% or more of breast pain cases is hormonal or something other than cancer. We just always assume the worst don't we.
As for the pink/red area - have you been doing lots of prodding around?
Could possibly be some kind of infection..... try your best not to let your thoughts run away with you - x

Thanks for the kind words. I'd assumed the pain was hormonal, as the other breast is painful too, but the pink area is what I'm really worried about. I haven't been prodding about too much, it was itchy a few weeks ago, and I'm prone to itchy red patches/hives, but it isn't itchy now, and that breast feels a bit more tender and tingly. At least I got an appointment really quickly, I don't think I could have coped with waiting like this for days and days. The hospital is a two hour drive away (I live in a remote area), have to leave really early and get a friend to take the children to school. I feel sick.

Mastitis?

I used to get a painful itchy bit and dr google said cancer. I knew it wasn't because it was caused by over squashing at a mammogram in the first place. More careful googling came up with mastitis. Then I took some ibuprofen and dug out my favourite bra and it went.

However, I seem to be getting it more these days (perimenopause) and got recalled with my last screening because of it (but everything ok).

I think that I have bits that do not drain very well when the tissue has swollen up. They are the same bits where I had mastitis and blocked ducts in the past.

I did get a blocked duct in this breast, years ago. There was a milk cyst there in my last ultrasound (for pain, was inflamed muscle). I was wearing a bra that was much too tight before this happened, Ive put weight on and am trying to lose it so haven't bought any new bras. I had stabby pain in this breast which went when I put on a slightly bigger bra, but the redness has been there for days. I haven't breastfed for 4 years, and I don't feel fluey or ill. Can you get mastitis so long after breastfeeding? Wouldn't I feel unwell?

It is probably inflammation, rather than infection.

The ducts apparently change as you go into menopause - ductal ecstasia seems to be a word bandied around. You are likely to get irritation from skin cells and stuff that hasn't cleared. I thought they just lost the glandular tissue, but as always, it seems to be more complicated than that .

Hope your scan gives you some answers. Until then, a bra that gives support but does not push you into any particular shape, and ibuprofen will help.

Thank you all for posting, the reassuring messages do help. My friend was only 41 and had a new baby, it was all horribly traumatic. Having the redness and pain has just thrown me into a total spin. I have had three ultrasounds over the past few years for various things and each time I have been scared, but this time I am so stressed that I can't even think straight. It is helping to know that there can be innocent things that also cause tenderness and inflammation.

I know what you mean - I had a good friend who died of cervical cancer at 41 - then 3 other people I knew died of cancer shortly after then a parent at school died of sudden heart failure and another of liver failure. It really drives it home!

It is a good idea to have a scan, then you can find out what is going on (or not going on) and then get on with enjoying your life

I feel for you OP, I also have been experiencing some low level pain/tenderness in one breast. I had a mammogram and ultrasound yesterday and they found some calcifications but no lumps thank goodness. They also identified a few small cysts which could be connected to where I am in my cycle and the radiologist wasn't worried, she basically said I have highly active hormonal breasts . I was also fearing inflammatory breast cancer so I'm relieved that seems to be off the table and no lumps were found. I getting a biopsy on Friday and I'm hoping I'm in the 80% bracket of women for whom the calcifications are completely benign.

It's scary to go through but I honestly feel 95% better today now I've had the mammogram & ultrasound than I did before. Remember OP it's far, far more likely than not that you don't have inflammatory breast cancer.

A while back I got an urgent referral to the breast clinic when I got swelling, extreme pain, reddening and skin changes on one breast. It turned out to be an abscess and cleared up completely with a short course of antibiotics.

I was absolutely terrified for the time between the symptoms developing and the hospital appointment, it's absolutely horrible being stuck waiting whilst you're convincing yourself it's something awful

This thread really has taken the edge off my terror, I am v grateful! I am still really anxious, obviously, but I feel a bit calmer reading all the alternatives. So helpful to see that there can be perfectly innocent reasons for my symptoms.
Rainbunny I hope your biopsy goes well and that all is fine.

Thanks OP, not knowing anything but dreading the worst was awful so I feel much better about having the biopsy. Good luck OP, I'm sure you will be feeling much better after tomorrow!

Do let us know how scan goes OP - thoughts are with you

Crossing fingers for you OP.

Home again, and all was ok. I do have to go back in January and have a repeat ultrasound, as my breasts are very tender, hormonally active and dense, so he couldn't get a clear view of the back of the breast (I am busty which maybe didn't help) . But he couldn't feel any thing worrying and said the redness is superficial, a skin issue, rather than related to the breast itself. I am very relieved. I wish he'd been able to see everything, but as the redness was my main worry then I think I can relax a bit now! Thanks everyone for your support, it really did help me stay calm yesterday and this morning

Excellent news :-) really pleased for you OP!

Hopefully if there is anyone else panicking in the run up to a consultation, they might read this and be reassured as I was.

That's excellent news :) I'm waiting for breast scan on 6th Dec. Lump and pain and pain in shoulder blade. Hoping for a similarly reassuring result at yours

Last time I had to have a scan, for pain, and all was fine, I said to the consultant "it must be nice to give some good news". He replied "Almost all of the news I give is good news, the vast majority of lumps are nothing sinister". My best friend had three lumps found at her first Mammogram recently - they did several biopsies, so she was worried sick but they were harmless , (fibroadenomae) . So daily, I hope your lump is nothing to worry about.

My pain is right at the back - against the chest wall. It came up as thickening on my screening mammo which lead to several repeat mammograms to get the angle and crushiness right, and US, but nothing there .

Hope the redness and itching goes soon. It is maddening.

Daily - good luck on the 6th

So pleased for you x

Thanks for good luck wishes. Am crossing fingers this is cystic and not nasty. I'm 56 and on HRT which ups the chances for BC. Our WI group had a talk the other month by a senior oncologist specialising in breast and neck cancers. He also said that most lumps not sinister and that even at the worst, treatment has become so advanced and tailor made to each type of disease now, that he views BC more as a chronic disease , ie something that is generally treated then under regular review and management.

I have a follow up appointment on Monday, after a recent mammogram and I'm already imagining the worse... it's the waiting and worrying...looked at several bits online which haven't helped and I'm one of life's worriers. I know it's ridiculous worrying now when I've not been...but can't stop thinking about it..

Arty Hope you get positive news on Monday. Googling definitely doesn't help. I had a right old session online last night, even though I knew it was a crazy thing to do, and frightened myself witless. We need to stay away from googling!

Arty hope all is fine on Monday. I know a lot of people who have had recalls after mammograms, in one case they'd simply caused a pleat in her skin as they squashed her breast (ouch), which looked strange on the image so she was recalled.