fatty breast tissue
fatty breast tissue Hi can anyone tell me what fatty breast tissue is and what causes it?
i posted on here weeks ago about a lump that i found and everyone was so helpful, thank you.
i had my appointment on 21st dec at breast clinic but left feeling even more confused, the nurse i saw examined my breasts and where the lump is and said that it didnt feel likeanything to worry about and that i have the slightly the same on the other breast. (which i cant feel?) the doctor came in and had a quick feel and marked me with a pen for an ultra sound scan but when i went in for the scan i noticed that the doctor hadn’t marked the right place where my lump was…maybe they dont have to mark the exact spot, i’m not sure. the ultra sound didnt show anything which i was relieved at and when i went back into see the nurse she said it was just fatty breast tissue and your breasts do get lumper during your cycle and sometimes a lump can feel more than what is it. i left feeling as if i had wasted their time, i know at 28 breast cancer is very rare but i felt that because of my age i was kind of fobbed off. i didnt ask any questions as they are the experts, but can they tell it’s nothing too worry about just by feeling the area? when i went to see my gp she felt the lump straight away and described it as a hard pea and referred me as urgent she also said that i would have to have a core biopsy but the clinic didn’t feel that i needed any further tests as i dont have any family history of breast cancer. it wasnt until i got home my mum said she forgot that her cousin has had her breast removed, would this have made a difference?
they didnt explain what fatty breast tissue is or if it goes away on its own…can anyone help me on this as i don’t really want to go back to the doctor as i dont want to be seen as though i’m making my lump out to be more than what it is.
thanks angela xx
Hi Angela I’m not sure if this helps but… I was diagnosed in December 2002 with BC in my right breast. As a result, I am more breast aware than I was. A week or so ago I noticed a ‘lumpy bit’ of tissue just above my nipple on the left breast. I called and got an appointment for the next day at the breast clinic (easy for me to do as I’m still on their outpatient list). The doctor who examined me advised that it didn’t feel like a ‘discrete’ lump - which I agreed with, it felt more like a localised thickening. As a precaution (given my history) she sent me for an ultrasound.
The doctor who carried out the ultrasound asked me if there had been any trauma to that area… I rememered that I had taken a knock to that breast and had a bruise there which had gone away the week before. It turns out that the bump I’d had caused the tissue to thicken in much the same way you might get a lump on your arm or leg if you if you bump into a corner of a table for example. I was reassured and mightily relieved, and already it has started to go down again.
So I guess it was just a localised reaction to a blunt trauma in my case. I was lucky.
Your breasts go through changes all through the month and can feel different at different times of the month. Sometimes they can feel lumpier than other times, due to hormonal changes caused by your menstrual cycle. However, if your gp was concerned enough to send you to the breast clinic, it might be worth going back to her to discuss the outcome. She might suggest checking it again in a month or two or she may send you back and insist they do tests. Please DO NOT feel that you would be wasting her time. Why not call your gp’s surgery and see if they do telephone consultations? I’m sure she would much rather put your mind at rest rather than having you worry…
thanks thanks so much for your reply, i do suffer from tender lumpy breast during my cycle but this lump doesnt go away it’s been there for a few months now it’s actually easier to feel when i’m not on my cycle…if that makes sense? i’ll go back to my gp if it’s still there in a month or so…i just don’t want her to think i’m questioning the experts as they know what they’re looking for.
thanks again xx