Am I being treated right
Am I being treated right Hi everyone
Back in February I posted about a nipple discharge and breast pain in my right breast. I had already had a routine mammogram that had came back clear.
Well I finally plucked up courage and saw my GP. He examined me and said that he could feel no lumps and my breast looked perfectly normal and as I had already had a clear mammogram, he thought that I was suffering from mastitis and perscribed some anti-biotics.
After a few days the pain and discharge went away but since finishing the tablets it came back again. Went back to see the GP last Monday and he has persribed another course of anti-biotics and said that he is going to write to the breast clinic to see if they wanted to check me out further but said that as the mammogram was clear they may not need to see me.
I am a little confused by all of this. Does this mean I could still have breast cancer without feeling any lumps? or could this be caused by hormones as I am approaching the menopause ?
Any advice would be much appreciated.
mazzy
Your gp seems to be a good one who is being cautious.It would not be fair to lie to you-some breast cancer is detected without a lump being found -but as your discharge cleared with antibiotics then this sounds like it could be an infection but maybe you needed longer course of antibiotics.Dont get too worried-its easy to read too much into things and l can easily scare myself witless! take it a step at a time.If you feel it would help ring the help line as the nurses on it are very helpful and honest.
keep posting here and we will support you as you wait-thats the hardest bit.
sending love thinking of you sharonx
Hi Mazzy Dear Mazzy,
Knowledge is power when it comes to finding out whether you need to be referred.
I think that you need to download the NICE guidelines.
The web address to go to is:
nice.org.uk/page.aspx?o=csgbcguidance
These guidelines state:
URGENT REFERRAL (within two weeks):
¢ Patients aged 30 or over (the precise age criterion to be agreed
by each network) with a discrete lump in the breast.
¢ Patients with breast signs or symptoms which are highly
suggestive of cancer. These include:
¢ Ulceration
¢ Skin nodule
¢ Skin distortion
¢ Nipple eczema
¢ Recent nipple retraction or distortion ( 3 months)
¢ Unilateral nipple discharge which stains clothes
CONDITIONS THAT REQUIRE REFERRAL, NOT NECCESSARILY URGENT:
¢ Breast lumps in the following patients, or of the following types:
¢ Discrete lump in a younger woman (age 30 years)
¢ Asymmetrical nodularity that persists at review after
menstruation
¢ Abscess
¢ Persistently refilling or recurrent cyst
¢ Intractable pain which does not respond to simple measures
such as wearing a well-fitting bra and using over-the-counter
analgesics such as paracetamol.
Bilateral discharge sufficient to stain clothes in patients
aged over 50 years.
¢ Bloodstained discharge in patients aged over 50 years (urgent
referral required if discharge is unilateral).
¢ Any nipple discharge in patients over 50 years of age.
As you can see if you have a unilateral (one side) nipple discharge these guidelines state that you should be referred urgently to your breast cancer and seen within two weeks. Don’t let anyone say to you that these are only guidelines: they are medically and legally robust so anyone not following them must have a pretty good medical reason for not doing so if they value their careers.
Now don’t panic. The majority of women referred to breast clinics (urgently or otherwise) are found not to have breast cancer. The point is that the breast clinic medics have a ‘belt and braces’ approach and like to check the above things out properly.
Print out the NICE guidelines. Underline/highlight the relevant bits. Take the pieces of paper plus a friend/husband/relation for support and go and see your GP and insist on urgent referral.
As I said, don’t panic.
Best wishes and good luck,
Sue
Mazzy Hi Mazzy -
Sharon has made a good point, if the discharge stopped with antibiotics an infection is likely. It is also worth holding onto the fact that only a small number of referals turn out to be cancer.
That said I was referred with a blood stained discharge and given the all clear after examination and mammogram plus lab tests on the discharge. Several months later I developed a deep dimple in my breast so back I went. As luck would have it the consultant surgeon was about and she would not accept the mammogram or lack of lumps and used an ultrasound. She did find a lump tucked away under a lot of dense breast tissue. So do take support with you and if the mammogram is all clear ask them if it is worth double checking with an ultra sound. I’m sure the helpline staff would be able to help you put together a list of questions to take to clinic with you.
Please, please, please - don’t panic easy to say I know. There is a very high probability it is not cancer. It really is a good idea not to get too far ahead of yourself with looking up about treatment until you get the diagnosis. It can all get too overwhelming.
Keep posting and good luck you will get lots of support here.
Swanie