Just looking for a hand hold - found lump in breast

[CLK125]

Last week I found a lump probably about the size of a grape just above my right boob more in the chest wall area and yesterday found another small one a bit further up. I wouldn’t say I have any other symptoms, no discharge from nipples, no fatigue etc. It’s a hard solid lump and doesn’t move.

Have been to the GP today and have been referred urgently to the hospital but will likely still be a few weeks.

I am 33 and have a little girl. Feel like I’m just spiralling a bit. I know there is more chance of it being something benign etc but so hard to stop thinking negatively!

just looking for some similar stories and outcomes wether good or bad.

What is likely to be the process at the hospital once I have my appointment through?

Thank you!

Sending a hand hold OP 💐

I haven’t had it myself but a close friend did. Referred on urgent pathway and seen at hospital within two weeks. Turned out to be a benign cyst. I have known a few women over the years who’ve found lump and bumps in that area and all have turned out non-cancerous. They can be quite common and the vast majority are harmless.

Sorry OP, I know the worry well. Mine was a fibriadenoma, and the vast, vast majority of lumps in someone your age will also be benign. The wait is tricky, but NHS are brilliant with breast screening and hopefully you've got relief soon xx

Oh and with regards the hospital, my local one saw me 6 days after GP ( and try to see everyone within 14 days).

There was a chat with a doctor who felt my lump and then an ultrasound scan performed by someone else.

If they had been concerned, they'd have done any biopsies at that time. All of the staff were incredibly kind and it was a well oiled machine.

Thank you very much to you both. Will try and stay positive and hopefully have an appointment through soon.

We go on holiday in just over 2 weeks so just praying I hear before then to try and put my mind at ease a bit.

Another cyst here too. Was seem very recently within 2 weeks and was given results there and then. I told myself during the wait the treatment these days is amazing if it was worse case scenario, which it is, and even so, it's more likely to be not serious. Boob's are strange lumpy bumpy things but well done for getting checked out and good luck, there's every chance it will be a good outcome x

There's some good non-scary info here about what to expect:

https://breastcancernow.org/about-breast-cancer/screening-tests-and-scans/what-happens-at-a-breast-clinic-appointment

Hi, i had this 2 years ago, I found a lump just above my right nipple that was solid, I went to see my gp the next day and they reffered me to the breast clinic. I think it was about a week later when they saw me and the lump had grown and changed shape and felt like a long bullet! They gave me an ultrasound, I had 2 cysts that I didn't even know was there so they were just drained and nothing to worry about, but the lump i went in for was suspicious so they took 3 biopsies of it and inserted a metal clip into it so it would be easy to find again (they were convinced I'd need surgery on it) and then they said id get the results in 1-2 weeks. We went away on holiday the next day for 10 days. Whilst driving back home I got a call to say it was benign and should resolve on its own! I had the fear of God in my when I left that hospital but so glad I went away during the waiting time as I know I'd of just been locked away in my bedroom panicking. Try not to worry, most of the time it is benign! Good luck!

Thank you @Wrekt that’s comforting and glad it was positive news for you.

I have my appointment through so it’s a week today. Will just keep busy until then and hope and pray for good news. Iv managed to chill out a bit and actually feeling relatively calm.

Will so be looking forward to our holiday once this is over!

I'm glad you've got an appointment date and are feeling a bit calmer.

I think sometimes it can be easier to park the worrying once you have an appointment date, because you know nothing is going to happen until that date and therefore nothing to be done until then. See if you can find some nice things to do in the meantime.

Over 90% of breast clinic referrals turn out to be benign. Hopefully you will be one of them too.

Hi @CLK125 just wanted to join the chat to
say, I was referred for a breast lump on Friday, and with the weekend and bank holiday I’m not sure when I’ll get an appointment but I wish I had one so I could at least have a countdown.
i feel exactly the same as you, im
36 with a young child. Im struggling to function. Where my lump is (I couldn’t feel it at first, the Gp said I had one but I’ve felt it now) I also have a dent/dimple so I’m just absolutely past myself! Xx

@Mrsworried1 It's important to remember that over 90% of referrals to the breast clinic are for benign conditions. The referral criteria are very widely drawn - it's more about confirming that it's not cancer.

The below information is from Cancer Research UK:

On average, GPs see about 1 to 2 women a year who have breast cancer. But they will see a lot more women who have non cancerous (benign) breast conditions such as:
**
- cysts – sacs of fluid in the breast tissue (most common in women between 35 to 50 years)
**
- fibroadenomas – collections of fibrous glandular tissue (most common in women aged between 15 to 35)
**
- diffuse nodularity (lumpy breasts) – this is more common in women younger than 50
**
- breast pain – this is not a usual symptom of breast cancer

Thank you for that info, I was looking for that kind of thing but wasn’t sure wheee to look.
the dimple looks exactly like the articles on the news where women thought it was a stretch mark and it was cancer. Like exactly the same :( xx

All my lumps - and I have had several - have been fast tracked and all ended up being benign cysts.

good luck.

I mean this kindly, but you're not medically trained to be making valid interpretations. You're not helping yourself by looking up images of women who had cancer in scary news articles - that confirmation bias is just feeding your anxiety.

If I showed you a hundred photos of breast dimpling, would you be able to identify which ones were caused by benign cysts, benign fibrocystic changes, or cancer? No. So stop looking at things like that.

I know how difficult the uncertainty is and how worrying it can be, so please don't think I'm minimising it, but you need to focus on managing that in ways that don't make you even more anxious. Otherwise you'll end up ill with stress.

The Macmillan support line is open today until 8pm if you think it might help to chat to them. They are specialists and the people to turn to for reassurance, not scary news stories online.

https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/get-help/macmillan-support-line

Thank you you’re right. I’m going to have to pull myself together, I’m getting so stressed. I’ve had three nose bleeds in the last two days and I think it’s the stress! Xx

The waiting and not knowing is one of the hardest parts. Hopefully it’s all innocent.