I did post with this a couple of days ago and the only response was from the moderator (no disrespect) but I was hoping for some opinions/advice from others as well.
Having had eczema on R nipple/areola had mammo nothing showed, indentation appeared a year or so later on same areola where eczema was.
Very disappointing visit to clinic where consultant said she couldn’t see the indentation but then said it wasn’t what is meant by indentation (not sure how she can say that if she can’t see the indent and opinion on this site seemed to be to report any changes!), had mammo nothing showed. Sadly ended up feeling like I’d wasted their time.
Anyway, thought I’d not check my breasts for a couple of months as it’s quite easy to get a bit preoccupied with it all. Decided to check a couple of days ago and it has got bigger (wider - it almost looks as if someone pressed their finger along it and it’s left a permanent impression, at 1st it was like my little finger size now it’s more like a man’s rather large middle finger and it sort of looks like the areola has disappeared) I did say to the consultantant at the time it was getting bigger.
Does this all sound OK and as cons said “it’s just 1 of those things” or should I be concerned?
I think that you should certainly go and have a chat with your GP to see if there is something there that needs to be followed up - we definately should all take any changes seriously and have them checked out. With any luck it will not be a problem, but doesn’t make sense to leave it and worry.
Hi Sandy,
Do go back to your GP as soon as possible with this,it will be hopefully nothing to worry about but it is better to get it checked out again,it is so widely advertised to us ladies to report any breast changes as soon as we find them, so go ahead and don’t feel that you are over reacting or being a nuisance because you certainly are not.
Best of Luck Laura x
Hi Sandy
I would def go and see you gp and perhaps ask for a mamogramm. I’d also mention if there’s any history of bc in the family etc; not sure how old you are but if you’re over 50 then a mammo shouldn’t be a problem but if you’re younger you might have to ‘insist’ on one.
The team here are very good if you need to talk to somebody for some professional advice.
Good luck and hope you don’t have to join us here!
Def go back to your gp i know two people who went to drs with lumps and pain and the doctors said nothing to worry about they both ended up with BC and having surgery and chemo and radiotherpy i think if your are worried keep going back so they can refere you to the experts, when i was diagnosed i was having pain under both armpits and thought i would come out with ibuprofen not be told by my doctor she had found a lump just keep saying you want secound opinion you have nothing to lose but will hopefully put your mind at ease and it will be nothing.
hi sandy… just echoing other ladies go back… i went to gp with lump told it was nothing but went back 10 wks later to different gp and referred to breast clinic was so angry as we are brainwashed into breast awareness yet failed by professionals you are obviously so worried and that wont do you any good you push for another opinion or mammo whatever you feel you want i hope you get this sorted and it is nothing to worry about take care x
As others have said, best to get GP to refer you. Hopefully it will be nothing, in which case you can stop worrying. If it does turn out to be bc, then the sooner you get treatment started the better. Don’t let the GP fob you off with waiting etc. Ask to be referred now - otherwise you’ll just be worrying for longer.
I’m not sure how old you are but if you are youngish then you should insist on an ultrasound as well as a mammogram as younger breast tisdue is denser and msmmograms can struggle on denser tissue. Under 40 should def have ultrasound too, between 40 and 50 i am not too sure about but to be honest i’d ask for one if you are premenopausal. Ask your gp to refer you to a different breast clinic if you dont want to come up against the same consultant again. Good luck.
I originally went to docs with achey arm that seemed to stem from boob area, he found nothing but said to return if i was worried.
I was so i did. This was because it had changed shape (literally over night) and there was no way it could be normal.
I have lobular cancer, it’s the 2nd most common but quite difficult to notice because it doesn’t show itself as lumps; it can be missed on mammograms because it’s very similar to breast tissue.
Go back to the GP and mention lobular, although don’t be surprised if he/she doesn’t know about its particular attributes as they have only general knowledge not specialist.
the chances are it’s nothing but you need to know it’s nothing.
I have had a mammo each time which thankfully showed nothing - I think the problem is that the 1st time (with eczema) Paget’s was mentioned so having come away being told I needn’t go back I looked up info and it seemed that the only way of ruling this out is by biopsy which I didn’t have so I got left with a doubt.
Last time with the indent, I had such a rushed appointment that altho I went armed with questions to put my mind at rest I didn’t get to ask them and was referred for a mammo which reported a coding of 2 (benign finding in R Breast)
I did make a complaint cos I felt the way I was treated was below what I could expect and I did get a “better consultation” and asked a few questions but apparently all my symptoms (from eczema, hot burning nipple, breast pain then indentation all in same poor breast) were coincidental and “just 1 of those things” I did ask for a biopsy as per diagnosing Paget’s but was told there was nothing to biopsy, again since found out that the biopsy is of skin - which I have! and mammo reports something benign tho what I don’t know.
In fact when I came away I felt I couldn’t go thru this again - I could (and still can see the indent (wrong type) but on mammo report quite clearly states that consultant reports she can’t see anything.
The 1st time I went the letter said if you have further worries please contact us this time it’s “as consultant said you don’t need to be seen again” - which she didn’t say and does make it difficult to go back with same (albeit getting bigger) symptom
I’ll get the courage eventually to go to GP and talk it thru to try and get peace of mind, thanks to my previous treatment not looking forward to it tho as I can’t face the dismissal again. As fairyqueen said we’re told to report changes which I have yet I’ve come away feeling a timewaster - prior to this it’s over 25 years since I’ve seen a GP so this isn’t the case.
Moral of story I wish I’d done more research and found out what should be done prior to visits rather than naively assuming the professionals would automatically do it
Hi Sandy, I’d add that some things that are missed by ultrasound and mammogram will show up on MRI scan, although I don’t know whether that would be relevant for your case. There’s obviously something wrong, and that is understandably worrying you. Someone needs to tell you what the problem is - it’s no good saying it’s fine when you don’t have a definite diagnosis. I’d definitely go back to the GP to start with. Good luck.
As others have said. Go back and say that you now have other worrying symptoms and there are types of breast complaint which need treating which don’t appear as lumps. You would like this checking out. GPs have general knowledge but would never have referred me for my bc as I didn’t even have a visible lump just a general achiness which didn’t feel right. You should certainly get this checked out and put your mind at rest x