No signs or symptoms. Normal mammograms. Cancer in both breasts on first routine MRI screening [BRCA1+]. Confirmed on ultrasound/biopsy.
My left breast felt sore while I was out running and then I feel quite a big lump - like a peach stone is a good description. I had exactly the same thing happen this time last year - was referred by my GP, had it checked out didnât do a needle biopsy - was nothing and felt rather foolish for making a fuss. Hence this time I really wasnât worried. I had my referral last Thursday and was told the lump was rather âmeatyâ - lovely!!! - had a needle biopsy. He phoned me at 9.30 that night and said he had found 'lots of irregular cells and gave me a random score of 3 - 0 being benign, 5 v bad. Whatever that means. I have to have u/s and mammo on Fri and am seeing the consultant on Saturday. I am bricking myself and am struggling to sleep. It is the waitingâŠblah blah.
I keep telling myself that they will just leave it but am now slightly resigned to the fact that the least they will do it get the thing outâŠI just need to know!
My archetypal hard pea-sized lump appeared under the scar of a previous lumpectomy for a benign lump which Iâd had 10 years earlier when I was 32. Obviously not so benign!
My son was only a year old and it is obvious that pregnancy triggered/fuelled the cancer. My surgeon told me that women are at increased risk of a BC diagnosis for 3 years post partum.
Why isnât that common knowledge for all expectant mothers and midwives?
My lump was very painful - that is how I found it. It is incredible how many GPs still trot out that myth that if it hurts then it canât be cancer.
Mine hurt too, plus I found it when my youngest was 2 and a half so must havestarted developing post pregnancy too. Wouldnât swap
him though 
Any new forum members want to add their story?
Hi there
Didnât carry out checks in a formal manner, but had a reminder on my phone monthly, and just felt around both boobs in the shower.
I was VERY fortunate, lump quite prominent, it had been a couple of months since I had checked and bam, there it was! Never knew about change in appearances etc - do now! Also didnât consider myself to be at risk, no family history, none of risk factors, but here I am!
SJ xx
Hi all,
I too have suffered since my late teens with painful & lumpy boobs & have over the last 20 yrs made various trips to Gpâs where I was prescribed EPO & also on one visit informed that it âcouldnt be anything seriousâ as it would of made an appearance by now.
Roll on to Nov 2010, was in the shower & found a flat hardening above my right nipple which was definitely new, had recently moved area so made appointment with new Gp & explained about the constant lumpy, painful boobs but this felt different, luckily for me he dismissed the past & concentrated on the today & referred me to BCC.
When initially seen at Bcc the doctor felt that it was probably tissue hardening but referred me for Mammo anyway, at mammo I was informed that because of density & that my boobs were quite nodular I would need an ultrasound which i went back for a week later. At ultrasound i was informed that that what I had found was indeed tissue hardening but an area of concern had been found in my left breast which he then proceeded to Us & spend much more time than on right breast including going over my armpit, he then informed me that he would like to biopsy it. Before he performed the biopsy I did ask him to be honest & did he think it was âbadâ to which he replied yes which kind of half prepared me for the official Dx 2 days later.
Now I look back on everything, strangely my LB has always given me more trouble than RB & 10 years ago when i had my last child i was unable to breast feed at all on it as nothing would come out, its also the breast that i got mastitas in & since child was born has always been so painful, not sure if any of this is linked or not but have been told that lump is so small that it would of taken me anything from 1 to 2 years to feel it myself by self examination, it has now been removed & results on Thursday so lets hope so. Sarah.xx
Post on behalf of new user Tracey
Hi vicky
I have suffered with cysts in my right breast for a number of years. I thought this time it was just another cyst never dreamed it would be cancer. I didnât want another needle to drain so I wasnât going to bother the Dr. My husband god bless him has always kept a eye on my lumps and said it felt different to the others. He was right it felt grissly around the edges and not round like the others. He was the one who insisted I went to see my Dr. If it wasnât for him I probably would have left it and not got it checked. My Dr refered me to glenfield breast care hospital and thatâs when i knew something was different. They did the usual ultra sound, but then they sent me for a mamogram which Iâd never had then a second ultra sound and 2 biopsyâs. 9 days later it was confirmed i had breast cancer.
So really I owe my husband my life.
Tracey what a fab husband you have! Hope your treatment is going well.
Anyone with their story to add please feel
free!
Vickie
âŠI didnât - pea-sized, it showed up on standard mammogram. Iâd been recalled 8yrs ago but at that point I had fractured sternum (RTA) and couldnât lean over properly. When I was recalled last year I thought S⊠After intial Dx, had MRI which showed 3 more tiny little buggers, so no choice MX.
Looking back, I had been unusually tired for months and wonder if that was a symptom. B
I had blood clots in my lungs 4 years ago and the Medics thought I had cancer somewhere. Found a few lumps in right breast and had biopsies (lcis) which led to 6 monthly mammos and numerous biopsies. Found a lump behind the nipple in may 2010 when in the Maldives! but didnât get it checked out till August due to changing job and family illnesses. Had biopsies and ended up with wide excision of the nipple,not cancer but Low grade DCIS,Florid LCIS,with flat epithelial atypia. No further treatemnt just annual mammos and watchful waiting.That is till just before Xmas found another lump and had pain in other breast and ended up having 3 biopsies yesterday.The wait is awful -results next Friday. Only just got my head round having nipple removed and the disfigurement of that!
Just bumping up in case anyone else wants to add their story.
I was very alarmed 7 years ago when a lump suddenly appeared behind my nipple. It turned out to be a cyst, and as I had private health cover at the time I went off the next day for a mammogram and ultrasound. I was told I have rather cysty breasts, and that it was a cyst. I had a fine needle aspiration (less painful than a wasp sting but rather alarming because of the length of the needle) and had several cysts drained.
Nothing until Nov 2010 when I felt some lumpiness that didnât change with periods, so took myself off to GP, who referred me to the clinic. Didnât worry as I expected it to be cysts again. And in fact it was. But while they were giving me a close look, they found what turned out to be a grade 3 tumour.
So I bless my cysts, as if I hadnât had cysty breasts Iâd still have a cancer growing inside me. Iâve since had WLE and SNB, and have CLEAR NODES so I know it hasnât spread, but it could have been so different if it hadnât been for those benign lumps. (See? You can find positives anywhere, if you look closely enough. And Iâve found two! No node involvement and found early.)
I have lipomas(fat accumulation) all over my body. When i found out last may 2010, a lump in my Br, i immediately went to my GP, whom redirected me to specialists. I went there hoping it was another lipoma but unfortunately it was BC. I am taking it in a +ve, atleast i found out now and rushed to the GP. Pls dont ignore any unusual happenings.
I was called back after routine screening in October and told there were concerns in both breasts. After the biopsies etc it turned out I had lobular cancer in my right breast and ductal in the left. Both were stage 2 and grade 2. I had the lumpectomies and SNB in November. Unfortunately the margins were not clear so I returned for a double mx in December. I feel very fortunate that things were caught early enough to ensure that my nodes were clear meaning my only ongoing treatment is Letrozole for 5 years.
Thank goodness for breast screening. I am on a mission to encourage everyone who is eligible to go along and have it done.
Bumping up for new people.
Paid to have a mammogram when I was 40 as I was worried about my family risk which was moderate (am 41) now its high as my mum was diagnosed 3 weeks after me.
First mammo at 40 was clear, second at 41 showed minor calcifications. Had steriotactic biopsy which removed all calcifications but found active cancer cells. Had SNB/WLE but showed no clear margins, found 4mm Grade 3 lump. Had MRI/ultrasound which showed nothing else, but was advised to have mastectomy - glad I did found 24mm Grade 2 and DCIS in breast tissue! Phew, so glad I went for that mammo and didnât wait until I was 50. Shame I had to pay.
Rachelx
I had painful breasts for ages thought going through menopause, have had painful knock to L breast a few years ago and some mastitis while b/f youngest son in same breast.
Thought i found small pea like lump but wasnât sure but hadnât been checking very regularly. Kept checking over two or three months eventually told OH and daughters who insisted i go to GP. Saw locum who examined and looked concerned and she referred me to Breast Clinic. Two weeks to be seen and in meantime was sore in the area of lump probably annoyed it prodding. Went in to one stop clinic examined, FNB done, sent for mamogram, calcifications plain to see on scan. Then called back for u/s, radiologist when asked said on scale 0-5 0 being ok and 5 being malignant she told me mine looked 4-5, did 3 biopsies of thickened area next to where I had found my lump, shockedâŠyou bet! Back 2 days later and told to strip to waist for consultant and just knew it was definately bad news.
Have had WLE, SNB grade 2 IDC 25mm , stage 2or3, 2/17 nodes affected following ANC, also now to have chemo, rads and as 8/8 positive to oestrogen and progesterone having tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors.
I had 3 eldest in 20âs and youngest at 37, oldest 3 breast fed for a few months and youngest for 2 years as eczema and asthma severe. I took the pill for several years on and off from 16 then had Mirena for heavy bleeding and contraception for approx 6 years. I am dreading having it removed tomorrow as terrified I will get the really heavy bleeding back till forced menopause kicks in!!! I wonder if Mirena was the final straw?
Almost forgot to mention diagnosed 3/12/10 at 48yrs 6 months old!
I noticed a tiny spot like blemish on my left breast. I didnât think any thing of it until xmas eve 2006. I was in the bath when I felt the blemish, there was nothing there but about 1 inch away was a 2cm lump. Got straight in to the breast clinic and was dx with grade 3 invasive ductal carcinoma. I was 28 years old.
I never discovered if that tiny blemish was anything to do with the cancer but if it wasnât there ( being 28 and not ever really checking my breast ) I would never have found the lump.
xxx
Hi, i just wondered if anyone else had their stories to put on here? Thanks to everyone who has. I find it really interesting to find out the various routes we all took to our dx, and its surprising how few of us self examined to find ouf symptoms. Thanks to everyone who has already posted.
Vickie
x