Hello,
I am a first time poster and I have been reading through posts here over the past couple of months. I hope that it is ok for me to ask a few questions regarding concerns I have over future breast cancer risk.
My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of months ago. I found out also that my grandmother and great grandmother passed away due to breast cancer. I had limited knowledge of my family history until now due to being raised in the care system- a relative made contact with me when my mother was diagnosed.
I had an appointment recently at the family history clinic who went through everything with me and advised I was moderate risk. I have been told that my mother is waiting to see if she is allowed genetic testing and I was advised that if this is positive, I can be tested too. As it stands at the moment, I was told that I will start having mammograms at 40 and be put on Tamoxifen at this age too. When I asked if there was anything I could do to reduce my risk as much as possible they advised the general eating healthily, exercising, not smoking, limiting alcohol etc. I do not smoke, but did in my teens (now mid twenties), I rarely drink and I eat healthily and exercise regularly. I am now preparing to come off of the pill as apparently my mother took this too and I have been on it for 11 years.
Everything I have been reading online about risk and family history just makes me terrified. I feel that ultimately I do not have any control over this with my family history and that my life is going to be cut short (no female relative has gotten past the age of 52). I feel quite hopeless and depressed!
I had a breast lump removed when I was 17 which I found myself when I was 16. I was fobbed off quite a lot for nearly a year by the GP. It was benign but I do recall them saying they could not identify some cells and it was tested further but concluded to be benign (no idea what these mystery cells were as I was never told). Between the ages of 18 and 21 I found a few more lumps but GPs told me they were nothing to worry about and they did vanish by themselves.
The breast clinic gave me a leaflet with things to look out for in my breasts. Now, I know this sounds silly, but I have only known to look for lumps and changes in appearance. I was told by a GP when I was younger that pain was not related to anything serious. I have had breast pain for at least one year in one breast not related to my menstrual cycle, but I kept putting it down to hormones (I had endometriosis that was recently treated surgically).
The doctor examined me and found a lump which I could not find, and I still can’t. She also said there was breast tissue thickening and has referred me to the clinic. I am quite worried with recently discovering the family history and being told im moderate risk. I am also pretty horrified that I check my breasts each week and have never found this lump or breast thickening- I do not even know what this feels like! They always say to see a GP if you find anything that is not normal for you, but I do not even know what is meant to be normal for me now!
My questions are what does this thickening feel like? Also, for those of you who had this symptoms what did it turn out to be?
I also know that if you are high risk, you are offered preventative surgery. Are you allowed this if you are moderate risk? I just feel like my breasts are time bombs and that until I start having yearly scans that I will just be constantly going to the doctors for lumps and worrying myself sick. I want them taking off.
Thank you for reading and apologies if my concerns seem dramatic. It is a tough time 