Appointment Upcoming

Have I got breast cancer? Appointments and waiting for test results
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I’m 35, married mum of one (11yo) and I’ve got an appointment at clinic next Monday following a referral from my GP.

I’ve always checked myself (I had a bad smear in 2019 leading to a hysterectomy, so quite paranoid about such things!), and for about a month, I’ve had ‘discomfort’ between my right breast and armpit (not pain as such that stops me in my tracks, but it’s enough to notice it), which also gets hot and itchy. Couldn’t feel a lump but can pinpoint the exact spot.

Went to GP, honestly I was just expecting them to say I pulled a muscle, but upon checking she said she felt something where I pin pointed and that my outer breast tissue was hard.

So got referred on the two week pathway, had the call yesterday to say my appointment will be in six days.

Guess it’s just a waiting game now. Whilst I’m trying to be methodical and focus only on what will happen in the appointment, I can’t help but worry…

Hopefully it’s nothing, and for those in similar situation, I hope your appointments go well.

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Hi @km1989 sorry you’re going through this very stressful and anxious time. The wait between appointments can really drag while you worry about the worst case scenario. It’s easier said than done, but do whatever you enjoy to help get you through this waiting period. When I was waiting for my diagnosis a couple of years ago (I was 32 at the time), I would set time limits on my phone and banned myself from googling symptoms etc. I also let a few close friends know what was happening so that they could help distract me. I hope this is an option for you, don’t feel like you have to take this on your own!

At this stage, it could be any number of conditions that’s not cancer, so if you can convince yourself it’s worst case scenario then you can also convince yourself it’s the best case scenario :slight_smile:

Please do let us know how you get on. There’s lots of support here from others who are also waiting on appointments :heart:

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Hey there

The wait is always the worst and worry just goes with the territory. I’ve had my appointment today and had to keep myself sane with box sets when I felt I was overthinking things.

Hope this next few days goes speedily for you and your appointment is positive xx

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Hi, im 30 married with a 6 year old so not much difference between us!

I am going through the same process as yourself, although just a little bit ahead!

6 days is really quick! So that is good! The days may seen like they drag between now and your appointment, do as much relaxing as you can you deserve it! Lots of bubble baths, your favourite hobbies, be very very kind to yourself. I waited 14 days from referral by GP to attending clinic so literally the last day of my 2 week referral! It was torture! But i tried my hardest to distract myself with things that made me happy and i got there in the end :heart:

Not sure if you have read much about the appointment itself? But i will tell you what happened at mine, hopefully can prepare you a little so you know what to expect.

Firstly i was asked to change into a surgical gown, and then i met the breast consultant who done my physical exam. He circled areas of concern and filled in a form with family history and so on and asked about any symptoms id had.

Then he sent me off to another department for ultrasound. Because of my age they didnt do a mammogram. The consultant said that mammograms give off radiation whereas ultrasound doesnt, so they dont like to expose younger women to the mammogram radiation. We also have denser breast tissue which is more difficult for the mammogram to see anything!

I was scanned by a radiologist consultant, and there was an assistant in the room. The radiologist thought one lump was suspicious so she biopsied it there and then during the scan.

I have seen mixed stories about biopsy pain. Honestly i didnt feel a single thing! And im the biggest wimp! When she injected the numbing it was 1000x less painful than getting bloods done! I barely felt it. After that i didnt feel the biopsy at all. The only thing i did feel was the pressure of the ultrasound probe pressing down quite hard as the lump was quite deep. But again no pain, i was just aware that she was pressing quite hard.

I was patched up and off i went back to clinic. I think i was in the ultrasound and biopsy for about 20 minutes! Literally in an out!

Once back at clinic the consultant showed me my scan, explained why it was suspicious. He told me that the next MDT wasnt for 2 weeks and so results wouldnt be given to me for 2-3 weeks and that was that.

Off i went home! This all happened on the 14th July.

On the 17th July a letter went on my NHS App explaining to my GP what had been seen at the appointment and also that a biopsy was taken. Other than this ive had no other communication yet so just a waiting game.

I hope this helps you prepare a little for what is ahead :heart:

Please ask any questions you may have id be happy to answer if i can. I was talking to another lovely lady on here regularly, but she got her results the other day and they were benign thankfully!!! So looking for another person to chat too through this process haha xxxxx

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Nothing like time and a worry to send you down a Rabbit hole! I know that feeling. It’s completely natural to go into a tail spin, googling etc. But the outcome could be a whole host of things. The Breast Clinic Staff are lovely. In my case a Nurse explained why I’d been recalled, I then went for a mammogram, then US, then a mammogram biopsy- which isn’t terrible just uncomfortable (the position you’re in and the pressure applied to the breast)
Results were face to face 8 days later.
Good luck try and do lots of nice things, limit amount of time looking on internet etc xx

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Thank you all for taking the time to reply to me. It helps me massively to have those who have been there and done it. As much as my husband supports me (he’s very laid back and has the mentality of carry on until there’s something), it’s just nice that you all understand.

I’m glad I have this space for me to get it off my chest (excuse the pun) and I’m prepared for any outcome on the day. Thank you for the in depth description of what to expect, that helps me massively.

I’m trying with all my might to not read into anything further. I am at the same time mentally preparing myself for any outcome.

I’ll keep you posted how it goes. Fingers crossed all ok.

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Hi everyone. First post here. But been reading a lot! Found a hard pea size lump a few months ago and just convinced myself it was nothing. List a lot of weight recently (deliberately) so thought maybe that was the reason I could feel something that had probably been there ages. Anyway decided to see the doctor a couple of weeks ago who didn’t think it was anything to worry about but referred me to the breast clinic anyway. I had a cyst about a year ago between my breasts which was removed so I wasn’t really concerned that this new one would be anything to worry about. Went to the clinic a week ago who did a mammogram, ultrasound and then biopsy on two areas … the hard lump I had found and also under my arm where the doctor said there was an enlarged gland (not good?). The next MDT is next Monday and I have been given an appointment to see the consultant on Wednesday. I’m up and down with how I’m feeling. When I had the biopsy I was on my own at the clinic as honestly hadn’t given too much thought to it. When I got home from that appointment I felt like the world had ended. Went to bed for the afternoon and just couldn’t function. Mind going into overdrive. A week on and I’m feeling more like myself but still up and down and can’t stop thinking about “what if” etc. Hence it’s 5 am and I’ve been awake for an hour just stressing. My appointment with the consultant is at 4 pm on Wednesday and I’m even thinking that it must be bad news because why else would I have an appointment late in the day? Also trying to interpret the language (ctd)

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(Ctd) in my letter which says:

• Clinical examination: Bilateral palpable implant, pea-sized nodule in the medial left

breast

Mammogram & US scan:

Mammogram: Bilateral sub-glandular implants. The overlying breast tissue is mild to moderately dense. In the left lower inner quadrant there is an ill-defined superficial 12 mm mass, new since the previous screening mammograms from 21/12/2023, indeterminate.

No other abnormality.

Ultrasound: The palpable and mammographic abnormality in the leftlower inner quadrant is an irregular 11 x 9 x 8 mm hypoechoic stiff mass with ill-defined echogenic periphery, extending up to but not appearing to involve the overlying ski. Core biopsy performed

Impression:

Suspicious lesion - biopsy pending.

Plan:

Await biopsy result and follow up.

Any advice please? I am climbing the walls just waiting and another week may as well be another year as just feels impossible to wait that long.

So grateful to have found this forum. And thank you to anyone who manages to read all of my drivel!

Xx