Lump on chest

[Waffle19]

I’m going to book a doctors appointment tomorrow but just looking for thoughts as I’m spiralling!

I was checking my breasts last night in the shower when I noticed one area felt a bit odd. It’s basically above my left boob, on the side closest to my sternum. It feels like more in my chest that in my boob and I had to prod quite hard to find it so I can’t really say what type of lump it is. When I touch it it’s not painful but is more just tender - like a muscle knot in your back! Although it is painful today but only because I prodded the area so much last night. I’m not sure if it’s surrounded by a few other little
lumps or if I’m just imagining it.

Basically I’ve googled and I’m struggling to find an idea of what this could be so obviously I’m now petrified it could be cancer.

The rationale part of me is telling me it’s probably something muscular, I carry my 14 month old son on that side and have a lot of shoulder / back / neck pain because of that and have felt muscle type pain in that side of the chest before.

But the irrational part of me is convinced the only thing it could be is cancer and now I’m struggling to focus on anything else tonight.

Has anyone got any thoughts?

I’ve read lots of posts on breast lumps but this is above it.

Well, you're doing the right things by getting it looked at. It's hard to say what it could be though.

My mum's ductal breast cancers was found in a mammogram in a similar spot - she had no idea it was there. It's been excised, she's had radiotherapy and that's it bar tamoxifen. As she says - if you have to have breast cancer, that's the way to do it....

I understand the fears though, I convinced myself I had inflammatory breast cancer a few years ago (fortunately not, some weird hormonal thing!).

Does your partner (if you have one) know?

@PeonySeasons Yes and that’s what freaked me out as I was hoping he’d say it was in my head but he managed to find it, again with a lot of prodding.

I had a milk filled cyst (can’t remember the technical name) a few years ago when breastfeeding my oldest so I have been down the pathway before and know it can be fine but it’s not made me any less panicked!

You have all my sympathies, it's scary. Not much I can say to alleviate it, but do come back and talk once you've seen the GP as well. From what you say, you're expecting to be going on the 2 week wait?

I'm seeing the colorectal bods on Friday on the 2wk pathway myself but my FIT was negative so I'm not panicking...

I remember seeing a poster in the clinic last time I was seen for a breast lump that said something like 96% of the lumps seen in clinic were NOT cancer. You are doing the right thing, I will keep everything crossed for you.

@PeonySeasons Yes I’m assuming that they’ll refer me for the two week pathway, in a way I hope they do as at least then it’s concrete answers I guess! Even though then I’ll spend the whole two weeks fretting anyway. I’m sorry you’re facing an anxious time too, hope all will be ok.

@Ratfinkstinkypink Thank you that’s very kind! The stats are so reassuring but you can’t help but worry you’re going to be that one unlucky one!

Could it be your sternum ? Chest bone ? Randomly my sternum has always felt bigger on my left side

I had something sounding the same and it was cartilage where rib joins sternum

@Wishthiswasntmypost how was that diagnosed?

@Scorpion84 It definitely could be as right in that area

@Waffle19 i have similar but it definitely feels like bone , I can also feel it on my right side and again it feels like bone .

@Scorpion84 That’s why I’ve not been too worried initially is it does feel like something boney or muscly but I guess it’s hard to tell.

I did end up in A&E in December with sudden onset chest pain on the same side. It was ruled to be muscular or costochondritis so I guess it could be linked to that too.

How weird . I also have Costo on and off .

So the doctor has said it’s unlikely that it’s cancer and most like just some sort of tissue but has referred me under the two week path way as she said she wouldn’t want to miss anything and that’s the only way to know for sure. Anxious wait now!

@Waffle19 I found your post as I think I have the same sort of thing. Definitely feels more muscular but it’s odd there’s a lump there! Going to get it seen Monday if it’s not gone down.
thinking of you!

@RockAndRollerskate good luck! Try not to poke it much as I poked mine loads and now it’s really hurting which is silly as before I found it it didn’t hurt at all. I’ve got my hospital appointment on Tuesday so hoping for some answers soon, I keep going from being convinced it’s just something muscular to being convinced it’s cancer! Hope yours disappears over the weekend and if not you manage to get an appointment ok.

@PeonySeasons good luck today!

How did this all end.. positive I hope.

Look, it's cancer or it isn't cancer. It's already decided which of those two things it is. What isn't decided is if you know, or don't know.

Sorry if I sound critical, but it's the truth. The only thing you can do is to find out for yourself what it is.

@Dbrea yes all positive, basically I have a number of tiny cysts so was worth getting checked out as I wasn’t imaging it not feeling quite right.

Oh you don't sound critical love ... You sound like a prick 😘

So happy for you...it's hard when your mind races away and causes so much anxiety ❤️