Have an appt in 2 weeks after finding a lump

Have I got breast cancer? Appointments and waiting for test results
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I found a lump 2 weeks ago and my GP tells me it’s not a cyst or fat, but fibrous, which could be benign (fibroadenoma) or sinister. The lump came up quickly (or I didn’t notice it until it was a fair size - like a £2 coin). It’s firm to touch. I’m 37.

I lost an ovary this year (non-cancerous) and part of me thinks this could be a hormonal thing. But another side of me thinks the worst. I have a family history of breast cancer on my mother’s side. My aunt who had breast cancer in her 40s says her lump felt like mine.

I’m trying to remain calm and not catastrophise but it’s hard to focus on anything else. I’ve been told I’ll be at the breast unit for 4+ hours to have an examination, an ultrasound, mammogram and a biopsy. 

I’m not sure what I’m looking for here except for some insight I suppose, on what to expect, am I likely to know anything at all when I leave my appointment on the 14th? Any advise or words of wisdom appreciated.

2

Hi there,

The good news is that whatever this is, and hopefully its benign of course, you have gone quickly to get it checked - that can only ever be the right thing to do. Of course, going to the breast clinic is frightening, there is no doubt about that - but yours sounds like a ‘one stop’ clinic, which is psychologically easier. Sometimes women have to go for one appointment, then another mammo appt, then another biopsy appointment and so on… 

For you it means that you will do most of it in one day - see the bc surgeon/specialist (don’t worry about the surgeon word, thats often the person you see at the clinic as the specialist), probably have a manual exam and talk through your ‘symptoms’ beforehand, then have the necessary scans and biopsy if they think it necessary. I’ve noticed, from reading here, that sometimes if the radiographer and consultant are there together they can give you some possible ‘leanings’ one way or the other as to what they are seeing on images and from examination. Some things give clear clues as to what they are e.g. fluid filled cysts and people can be told immediately, some things are more difficult for them to read without the biopsy results. Sometimes they get a suspicion that is strong of being possibly bc, or not so strong but it ‘might be’ bc and ‘might not’. Unless they are absolutely totally certain that its benign without biopsy results, then you won’t be given an answer on the day. They won’t take any chances if even a teeny weeny possibility of doubt.

Sorry, this all sounds confusing - I guess what I’m saying is that if you are having a biopsy it is unusual to be told, before those results, this is definitely bc or definitely not bc. They may feel quite strongly that it is one way or the other, but only the tissue sample will give the necessary answers - so you could find that the consultant/surgeon sits on the fence after your visit to the clinic. The wait for biopsy results varies, depending on how busy a  pathology department is but it should be at or within two weeks, as which time you usually go back for the results.

I’ve found this page for you also, with some additional information…

breastcancernow.org/information-support/facing-breast-cancer/what-expect-breast-clinic-appointment

I am sorry that you find yourself here at a very worrying time, and hoping that you are able to come out the end of this with another non-cancerous anomally like fibro.  - that could well be the case, but this forum will be here to help you through the wait :slightly_smiling_face: Try not to do any online searching, it won’t give you an answer and could scare you more unneccessarily.