Lump on chest

[HenBob]

I have found a lump on my chest that is painful to touch.

I will try to get a doctor appointment tomorrow, but it's so hard to get one, usually taking up to a week of trying twice a day - must be even worse this time of year. I'm worried no one will see me for ages.

I am only 34 and breastfeeding, I am thinking - perhaps it's something to do with the breastfeeding rather than anything to worry about. Has anyone experienced similar?

I will still try my hardest to get into a doctor asap, I just feel worried. My baby has just been diagnosed with an autoimmune condition and my friend died of cancer last week, leaving her children without a mum. I think I'm very sensitive and have a bit of health anxiety.

Where on your chest is the lump? It may be an enlarged lymph node due to being run down or similar.
When trying to obtain an appointment, if you tell the receptionist that you have a lump and would like the nurse to check it then you might get an appointment more quickly. They can arrange a referral if needed and I see the nurses and nurse practitioners at my surgery for almost everything.

@MrsPnut thanks for your prompt advice. It's on the edge of my breast by my sternum.

So it could be a lymph node from the inter mammary chain, have you been under the weather recently or had any problems with breast feeding?

Most lumps that are cancer (90% of those seen in the breast clinic aren’t) are very slow growing so a lump that has appeared quickly is usually something benign.

@MrsPnut thanks so much you put my mind at rest so much. It literally appeared suddenly yesterday so I'm glad that's not a worrying sign. I haven't had any issues feeding but my baby has been unwell off her food and feeding constantly (she's over 12 months so this is not normal). I feel quite run down and exhausted.

Keep an eye on it, but don’t prod it all the time. If it’s still there in a few weeks then make an appointment with the nurse.

Tell your GP reception you have a breast lump and need it looking at it should be seen quickly in case you need a referral that should be in 2 weeks....most referrals are now happening in that time in my area. Most breast lumps are cysts etc. But always get it checked.

T neg breast cancer is fast growing you shouldn't be waiting 2 weeks to see.

A triple negative breast lump doesn’t appear overnight, nor does any breast lump that is cancerous. Triple negative cancer is also not so fast growing that a few weeks makes any kind of difference.

If you’d read all the posts then you’d understand why I gave that advice.

I've had T neg none there in Feb on mammogram grade 4 2cm lump in March ....wait 2 weeks to see GP wait 2 weeks for referral...wait 10 days for results, wait 10 days for treatment .....I would never wait.

That is more likely to be due to dense breasts on the mammogram.
Did you feel the lump prior to the mammogram?
The OP has had a lump appear overnight, it’s much more likely to be a lymph node and if it doesn’t go down then she should get it checked.