If you have ever found a lump in your breast, was it obvious?

[JustForTheTasteOfItDC]

Firstly, I'm really sorry if this question seems insensitive or upsets anyone.

I am unsure if I have felt a lump in my breast. I feel as though my breasts are quite sort of fibrous and bumpy anyway, so I'm really unsure if what I am feeling is normal or not.

I had a bad experience a few years ago where I thought I felt a lump and went to the GP who referred to the breast clinic, and had a doctor tell me that what I was feeling was my rib. (In fact there was a really tiny cyst on top of it, but I felt humiliated and as though I was being a complete idiot by going there).

So I wanted to ask if breast lumps are really obvious, and it's clear that it's a lump rather than just normal, bumpy breast tissue, or is it quite subtle and you saw the GP whilst not being sure?

Bumping

Another hopeful bump

Hello, yes mine was very obvious but I don’t have lumpy breasts. It was very hard and didn’t move or hurt.

Please get checked anyway. When I had my lump (which was cancer), I was in a clinic with at least 100 other woman, and no one else had cancer (the consultant told me as I ended up being there right til the end with multiple scans). He also thought it probably wasn’t cancer initially. It’s very unlikely to be cancer even if you have a lump. But go now and don’t delay. You really have no reason to feel humiliated the doctor was just probably trying to reassure you. I’ve been back since for all sorts of paranoia !

This happened 15 years ago btw xx

Hi, yes I found a lump turn out to be a cyst. I do still have it. Feels like a hard marble. I was seen quite quickly by my GP and referred to the hospital to be checked out and given all clear.

I’ve had breast cancer twice, and there was no lump at all, even though there were several tumours of many centimetres each, and I’m only very small breasted. Couldn’t feel anything.

I felt a lump which was a sort of fibrous mass rather than a hard lump. GP referred me, I had it checked though with mammogram and scan, all was ok. This was earlier this summer. The GP said often mammograms pick up abnormalities that you can’t feel yourself. So I would say even if you are not sure, please go to GP.

I was diagnosed with cysts last week. They are obvious yes

Sorry to ask this but if you had no lumps how did you find out about it?

My mum had a lump in her breast when I was a child, I distinctly remember everyone she knew coming to feel it. It felt quite large like an egg. Fortunately that turned out to non cancerous and was removed. The edges were smooth. Years later she had breast cancer and that was a hard lump like a pea. The edges under microscope were like a germ (with spokes).

I don’t think there are any hard and fast rules beyond if you have a lump please go and get it checked out with the gp. I think breast clinics need to see you in two weeks.

So the lump I felt was a cyst. However during the ultrasound at the breast clinic they found 3 small cancers that would nevernhave been felt, and in fact had not shown up on mammogram.

I have fibrocystic breasts which means I regularly get lumps and yes I can feel them. They vary in size but they always feel smooth.
Sorry you had a bad experience last time OP. The Dr should never have made you feel silly. It's always the right thing to check out a lump. If you can feel a lump, please go and get it checked out.

I had a cyst and it was rock solid, like a marble as a pp said and seemed to really pull on the tissue around it. It did however come up really quickly - and annoyingly took months to go back down.

I had a cyst which was quite large almost egg like, this was years ago and the GP stuck a syringe in it as aspirated it there and then, a lot of yellow liquid came out and he sent me on my way, he did say sometimes they come back, fortunately mine didn't.

My OBGYN found a lump on Monday this week. I would never have found it myself, in fact I could only feel it last night and then promptly lost it again (a bit like Rachel in Friends when she can't find the baby on the sonogram!)

I had a diagnostic mammogram yesterday, so waiting to find out results of that and my bloodwork.

I found a lump in May 2021. I actually had a 'dent/indentation' on the outer side of my right breast. I then realised that under the dent was a lump. I must have touched that lump hundreds of times until I saw the dr at the breast clinic.

I've always had lumpy boobs but this was definitely different.

Diagnosed with cancer 2 weeks later. Treatment all done now. Surgery, chemo, radiotherapy and still taking medication but all good and living life.

Please go and get checked.

Around 15% of breast cancer is lobular. In these cases, there is often no obvious lump, and what's more, it doesn't always show up on a mammogram. This is why it's important to go to the GP with any changes at all. And keep going back if you think something is wrong.

I was diagnosed with lobular breast cancer 9 years ago; I couldn't feel any lump at all. The only change was that my nipple began to point down slightly. As I couldn't feel a lump, I left it for ages as I just thought it was age making it droop down. I had a mastectomy and they found a 6 cm and a 2 cm tumour. Nobody could feel them; it's more like a thickening. Anyway, mine did show up on a mammogram, but I've heard of lots of women with lobular BC who had several mammograms before it was detected. So if you're worried, keep going back. Be proactive. Don't feel that you're being a pain in the arse. You know your own body.

I also had shooting pains in my breast, which also seems quite common with lobular breast cancer; my oncologist still tells me that BC is painless! Talk about mansplaining!

That's really shitty of the Dr to make you feel like that for getting it checked. Not least because your GP referred you so must have thought it was a potential concern!

Thank you all for these replies.

I've been to the GP and they have referred me to the breast clinic. She said she could feel "increased nodularity" in the breast, but not a definitive lump, but felt it best to refer as she said the key thing was that it felt different to me over a sustained period of time (about 2 months).

Thanks for those encouraging me to go and get checked. I really had been put off by the last experience and the fact that I wasn't sure if what I could feel was a lump or not. As it turns out, it seems it wasn't a lump, but still something that warranted further investigation, so at least I don't feel quite so worried that I've wasted someone's time.

Just to update I went to the breast clinic this week and all was well.