I am a 30 year old female. I have emailed the following to the BCC info email address for a specialist opinion, but am interested to hear the views of the forum users.
In October of last year I developed a 50p-sized red mark on my left breast, at about 10 o’clock as you look at the breast, about 2-3 inches away from the nipple. It began as a very small red mark around a white-ish area, but rapidly developed to bright red, 50p-sized. It was not itchy. It had a yellow area next to it for a few days, but the yellow subsided. I saw a nurse practitioner at my local GP surgery, who immediately called in a GP. The GP performed a breast examination, and concluded that it was a fungal infection to be treated with Daktakort. I used this anti-fungal cream for a week, as directed by the nurse, and returned a week later. The nurse was happy that the mark was fading and asked me to continue using the cream for another week. At the end of the second week the mark had not gone completely, so I returned to see a female GP (previous was male). This GP gave the area a quick prod, said to use the Daktakort for another month (and then proceded to ask me about anxiety symptoms - I felt like I was treated as a patient with anxiety, not as a patient presenting with a mark on her breast, who happens to be receiving separate treatment for anxiety!)
I have done exactly as the GP asked: I continued to use the Daktakort for a further month (taking me to the start of January), and then stopped using the cream. The mark has not completely gone; indeed, it is sometimes much more visible during times of the day than others. It isn’t, though, as red as it was when it first appeared. I would like to add that when the mark first appeared, a blue vein appeared at the side of the breast, about an inch in length, never visible before, and has remained visible to this day - no changes during menstrual cycles. Also, a blue vein, about 2-3 inches in vertical length, appeared in my neck starting at the collarbone and going up, on the same side as the breast with the mark, and has remained visible to this day - again, no changes in this. A few weeks ago I was woken with a stabbing pain in this area, followed by sharp, but short-lived stabbing pains in this area during that day. The pains were not the ‘I’ve slept on my neck strangely’-type, although they have not recurred to this day. What I have noticed in the last 2-3 weeks is a larger reddish-patch above my nipple, say about 3 x 50p sized on the same breast, and a reddish patch to the side of the nipple. have also noticed ‘ridges’ that I don’t believe I had before, around both nipple areas, but they are not particularly pronounced.
I am of course concerned about the appearance of the breast. I am aware that no lump needs to be present to suggest breast cancer (i.e. Inflammatory Breast Cancer, whose symptoms, I have read, can be quite subtle). I am understandably concerned about returning to a GP to be viewed as a patient with anxiety, rather than a patient who is understandably anxious about her breast.
Anyone out there who had similar symptoms (no lump, just red patches that faded with Daktakort, but not completely), but who pushed for further investigation. Thanks, in advance.