I used this forum 6 years ago when I had a breast cancer scare and everyone was so helpful and supportive.
My back story briefly!
I have had numerous complicated cysts benign masses in my right breast for the past 6 years. I have been on 6 month watch during this time having mammograms ultrasounds and mri due to family history and life time risk.
Up until now always the same for me extremely cystic with new ones popping up all the time some complicated some regular.
Last weekend I found a lump in my left breast that was very tender( made me think cyst) but felt “off” for me and normally don’t have tender breasts/cysts at this point in my cycle. So I messaged my breast surgeon and she had me come in the next morning( yesterday).
She did a clinical exam then had a technician show it on ultrasound for her, she immediately said oh this doesn’t look cystic, fully solid, don’t like the shape and it’s slightly taller than wide so she did an in office biopsy. I get my results on Friday so I’m in that horrible anxious waiting phase and mind in overdrive. It felt so different to anything else I had ever felt before and my surgeon is usually very conservative with me and rather a watch and wait than an unnecessary biopsy.
Anyway think this is such a lovely safe space and wanted to see if anyone had a similar experience and how it went.
I found a lump back in November 2024 that was huge and I’d never had anything like it before. When I went to the breast clinic, it turned out to be a cyst. I also found another lump in July 2025, which also turned out to be a cyst. As someone who’d never had any breast problems up until then, I found it odd that I’d found two lumps almost within six months of each other, but was obviously relieved they were just cysts and easily removed.
In October 2025, I found yet another lump, which I immediately assumed was going to be another cyst. It felt like one, only the location seemed odd as my other cysts had been more in the end of the breast whereas this was high up on the upper outer quadrant, close to the armpit. I still didn’t think too much of it and was almost 100% positive it was going to be another cyst, but when it was scanned, the radiologist said it looked more solid than a cyst and wanted to biopsy it. I burst into tears because I felt like I kind of knew it was going to be bad. And long story short, I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer two weeks later. I have actually had two other cysts drained since then and another solid benign mass found incidentally via MRI so my breasts have definitely been misbehaving this last couple of years!
Most people agree that waiting for results is the absolute worst part of this whole thing and I’ve been in a spiral many times during those periods. Unfortunately there’s nothing you can do for now except try to find your own way to live alongside the uncertainty, which admittedly is not easy. Sharing with others as you’re doing now helps massively.
Hats off to your surgeon as you’ve had some amazing service there and I hope you receive a positive outcome on Friday. x
Thank you so much for sharing your story with me and I hope you are doing well
What a journey you have been on so glad you are here today and so kind to share with me.
Yes I have had many issues but always benign also, this one is still smalll 1.4 X 1.1 but it’s in the upper outer quadrant also and it definitely felt different to me than any cysts benign masses previously and looked very different on ultrasound. Let’s hope that when I get my results tomorrow it is benign . Keeping really busy today and it will be here before I know it.
I will definitely come back and let you know how it goes tomorrow.
Thanks so much again for sharing with me it definitely helps just even writing down how we are feeling. I am anxious and don’t feel good about it, but I know that is a normal way to feel and hopefully worrying for no reason.
Just wanted to come back and let you know my doctor just called today and I have triple negative breast cancer unfortunately. It’s small and early so that’s great just have to do all the further testing mri etc then removal and chemo and radiation. Sending hugs xo
I’m so sorry to hear this, although I’ve got to say your surgeon sounds amazing giving you the news ASAP. They usually like to keep you in suspense!
My original plan was surgery/chemo/radio and I had surgery back in December. Mine was small at 10.5mm and the margins and lymph node testing all came back clear. However, I had some lumpiness under my scar that I got checked out just before I started chemo and then five days after my first chemo cycle, it was confirmed the cancer had come back along the scar as three different sized tumours. I started chemo to shrink the tumours in May and the good news is my MRI in July showed no trace of cancer left in the breast. I’ve one more chemo cycle to go before more surgery.
The journey can be a twisty one but I hope your treatment goes as smoothly as possible and if you have questions or want to vent etc., this is the place!
You’re right that sharing helps and if you’re wanting to connect with more people with a similar diagnosis, you could post a new topic with a relevant title and Breast Cancer Now also have a service called Someone Like Me where you can speak to someone who had a similar pathway. I’ve used it before and it was extremely helpful. I’ve included the link in case it’s something you might want to take a look at.
. Keeping really busy today and it will be here before I know it.