If you've been to the gp with a breast lump....

[Hexenbeast]

What did it feel like and what did it turn out to be? I've got an appt tomorrow for one that I've been keeping an eye on for a few weeks that's not gone away and I'm just pondering what it could be. I'm fully aware that 9 out of 10 aren't suspicious ones.

My GP referred me to the breast clinic straight away, and I was seen within a week. They had a feel of it and did and ultrasound and a biopsy. The result came a week later that it was a fibroadenoma which was benign and didn’t require any treatment.

Good luck x

I was referred on a 2ww seen at breast clinic and had x2 mammogram and scan , diagnosed x3 cysts. Stressful but fine, chatting with 3 others in same situation and all 3 had nothing sinister - good luck op

Smooth, round, mobile, lump about the size of a pea, just after having DC2. It’s a skin cyst, still there and slightly bigger. Always worth getting a lump checked. I was 99% sure it was nothing to worry about but went anyway and the GP confirmed it was fine.

I was referred as urgent, which all breast lumps are in my area (or possibly all of Scotland, I'm not sure).

I was seen within 3 weeks, quick exam then an ultrasound, all was fine. They didn't need to do a biopsy or anything.

I didn't get a mammogram as I'm not in the age bracket for it, I believe the other women I was waiting with did though.

Round moveable ball under the skin. Referred to hospital for scan. Turned out to be a cyst which just broke down by itself

Mine was a wobbly lump that you could kind of bounce your fingers over. I was pregnant. Seen within a week. Ultrasound done and all fine. Just a fatty lump.

I went to the GP after experiencing weeks of pain in my left breast. My GP said she could feel a large irregular lump and got me and appointment at the breast clinic for 9 days later.
Following a mammogram and ultrasound I was diagnosed with Fibrocystic Disease which is multiple small benign cysts and quite common in women my age, mid 40’s. No treatment needed other than painkillers when needed and the consultant suggested taking an evening primrose supplement too.

Those nine days were the longest of my life but you are doing the right thing by getting checked out. Good luck x

My GP examined me (with a chaperone) and referred me to the hospital who saw me within the week. Mammograms done, and the consultant drained the cyst while looking at the mammograms. She didn't expect the fluid to be the colour it was, indicating an infection. I got antibiotics and a follow up appointment. I haven't had another recurrence but got described as "rather cysty" so expect it will happen at some stage.

Mine was about an inch across and I’d had it for a couple of months when I went to the GP (I knew if I went before then, they would send me away until I had been through a few cycles and checked it hadn’t gone away). It was hard and didn’t move - but not painful.

I was referred to the clinic but as I am under 40 and had no other symptoms, and because there are long waiting lists in my area, there was a 7 week wait for my appointment.

I decided I couldn’t wait that long due to the stress (DH was diagnosed with cancer almost exactly a year before and the fear overcoming us both was horrendous) so paid for a private scan. I was seen within a week, had a thorough check up, a scan and a mammogram. (I wouldn’t have got a mammogram if I had gone NHS because of my age.)

It was nothing - harmless lump - apparently most likely cause by stress! I had to laugh when the doc asked if I’d had any particularly stressful experiences over the preceding few months! (And then went home and cried!)

That was a few months ago now and I can still feel it but it’s not as prominent as it was - maybe it’ll go away completely, maybe it won’t - I don’t know.

I had one a couple of years ago about the size of a small marble. Ultrasound at breast clinic showed it to be a fatty lump, completely benign. I was late 20's. I was referred and seen in a couple of weeks.

Mid 40's. I was referred but my lump disappeared. I went to the breast clinic, all ok but I'm off to have a mammogram next week

I'm also mid 40s and am hoping it's nothing, or a cyst, which it probably will turn out to be.

But my dsis was diagnosed with bc at the age of 35 so I'm happy to get it checked out.

Ooops - namechange fail. :)

A couple of years ago (in my early 30s) I went to the GP with a breast lump. Felt like a grain of rice inside, and painless. GP thought it was a cyst but referred me to breast clinic anyway. Was in clinic 1-2 weeks later, had manual examination, ultrasound, and biopsy. Results from that 1-2 weeks later confirmed what clinic had thought - it was a galactocele. Basically as I was easing off breastfeeding, a pocket of milk had started to calcify/turn into cheese

I was 17 and could feel a flat lump, like a PP said wobbled under my fingers. Two GPs had a feel and I was referred. At the breast clinic they made out I was imagining it, claimed I was too young for anything concerning but seeing as I was referred they would do an ultrasound anyway (such a waste of time apparently).

Ultrasound showed up a "small, insignificant cyst" would I like them to syringe it out? Errrr no thanks!

When I later visited GP again I told him it was just a small cyst. He looked at notes sent from clinic and said "that wasn't small at all!"
They made me feel like crap and at 17 I was scared but wasn't yet confident enough to stand up for myself.

Not a lump but I had a brown discharge from one nipple, only if I squeezed it out, it didn't leak spontaneously. Gp referred me to breast clinic under the 2 week rule, as they do every breast thing they see. Was seen 2 weeks later, doctor took history, had a feel and got me to squeeze a bit of the stuff out. Had an ultrasound scan. Turns out the brown stuff was probably debris in a duct, had I had any trauma? Probably small child's elbow on nipple when in bed. They said it was unlikely to be anything but could be. Week or 2 later I had my one and only anaesthetic where they removed said milk duct as day case. Very long 3 weeks wait for the histology results, it was all normal.

Mysterious inflammation. Sudden huge appearance from nowhere, hurt bad, melted away by itself within 4 weeks. No diagnosis. I keep poking the ribs where it was.

I'll be the one in ten for balance. My lump appeared whilst BF so I assumed related to that. Ignored it. Eventually stopped feeding, lump didn't go away. Eventually saw the GP this last November, after friends badgered me. It was indeed BC. I was 43 at that point. It was a big lump just under the skin and the skin was puckered. Tumour measured 2.4cms most of which I could feel. Was hard to the touch.

Went to the breast clinic 9 days later. Had a consultant look at it and right from the off I knew he didn't like it. Had a mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy right away and they told me there and then they were fairly certain it was cancer. Biopsy results 6 days later and then sent for bone scan, chest xray etc to check if it had spread. Mastectomy happened 15 days after I was first seen (my choice really to crack on asap).

So for balance, yours is almost certainly fine but I don't want people reading this thread to put off going to the GP because "everyone is fine". I wasn't. It was caught at early stage and an Oncotype test showed it has low risk of recurrence, but it's still the scariest shittest worst thing to have happened.

Good luck. I hope it is nothing.

GP prodded and poked. Agreed that she could feel a lump, but that it was smooth and not fixed, which were good signs.

But due to my history (or at least my sister's), she's referring me to have it scanned at ultrasound. Apparently, I should hear within about a week from the hospital.

I should have gone earlier in the holidays - going straight back to work with a request for time off for a hospital appt isn't going to go down well with the headteacher, but hey ho!

I was 29, a smooth round pea-sized lump that had been there for a few weeks. GP said she wasn't that worried about it, thought it was a under-skin cyst. She told me to stop prodding it (!) and come back in 3 weeks it hadn't gone down, and she would refer me to get it checked out. The next month I fell pregnant and it disappeared so i think it may have been hormone related.

I'm one of the unlucky 1 in 10 (think it's more like 1 in 8). Long lump like a painless swollen gland under my armpit. Nurse had a good prod, was referred to breast clinic diagnosed there and then with stage 2 DCIS breast cancer. Loads of scans, biopsies led to chemo, lumpectomy, mastectomy with immediate recon, radiotherapy, and 18 injections and a further 5 years of hormone tabs.
Generally if it's painful it's a cyst.

Went to see GP with large, smooth, lump in boob. He didn't bother doing an exam and referred me immediately to breast clinic. I was seen within 10 days for a mammogram, immediate diagnosis with the breast nurse of multiple fluid filled cysts. My boobs are apparently like swiss cheese - nice! They also did a family history and as I was mid 40's and had an aunt and cousin with BC in 40's had yearly mammograms until I was 51. This because I can feel lumps which come and go, and even stick out, and it is therefore difficult to know what they are. I was really pleased with the care I received.

Although I very much hope that it is 'one of those things', as it probably will turn out to be, it's reassuring that it's being taken seriously and being checked out.

Thanks for all the replies.

Small mobile but hard rubbery lump, I was in my mid 20s at the time. Referred under 2WW and seen at clinic, ultrasound and biopsy on the day, reassured at the time that likely benign and turned out to be a fibroadenoma on histology. Still there several years later.

Have you got an appointment yet @Hexenbeast? I had breast clinic appointment today and biopsy taken. Results Thursday. Thankfully not long to wait. I’m sure it’s nothing but still a worry.