itchy breast

hi,this is my first time writing a post on this site,i was wondering if any of you ladies experience itchy breasts,i had it for about 12 months before diagnosed with bc and was told by onc that there was no connection but 14 months later it has reoccured,im now worried that here is a connection and the bc is coming back.

Hi Bingowings,

A persistant itch to my right breast was what alerted me too the breast cancer in the first place, I’ve done chemo, surgery, and rads and this week have been experiencing itchy skin on the affected side, I really hope there is no connection and just hoping that its a SE of the rads. When they did the initial biopsy on me the dr mentioned that there was a cyst above the lump this had been masking the lump underneath hence the reason my lump was so big, could it just be a cyst, because I think thats what was causing me to itch in the first place not the cancer.

Hope this helps
love and light
sarahlousie xx

hi sarahlouise,thanks for your reply,i have to see my onc nxt month so will ask her advice,hopefully all is well and im just being a bit paranoid.x

Hello bingowings and sarahlouise

I was diagnosed in DEC 2006 with grade 3 - 12mm BC and had WLE, chemo, rads, herceptin and now Aromasin.

My affected breast has intermittently been very itchy. I mentioned this to the radiologist doing the ultra sound at one of my 6-monthly checkups and he definitely showed concern. He said ‘are you sure the itching has stopped now’ - which it had - and he said - OK - no problem.

That checkup was clear, and another checkup three weeks ago was also clear despite more intermittent itching, and in my case I’m pretty sure that it is just the skin on the affected breast causing the itch. I think the skin there is still sensitive following the radiotherapy even though that was 4 years ago.

However, I have read that an itchy breast can - in VERY RARE CASES - be an indication of BC.

I don’t wish to worry either of you, bingowings or sarahlouise and I think it’s pretty unlikely that your itching is anything to worry about. However, I thought you should both be aware that in rare cases it can be a symptom. So please do be sure to mention it when you go for checkups - especially bingowings - as you said your onc dismissed this earlier. take care both x

Just a quick update, got back from the GP’s after phoning the Rads skin nurse who told me to go see my GP, he has given me some hydrocortisone cream to help stop the itching, it appears to be just on my mx rads site and I feel happy that it is the rads and not anything more sinister.

Anthi - Thanks for your reply, and like you said a worrying itch can be a sign of BC as I found thats what alerted me to go to the Dr’s and then they found the BC, glad too hear its rare sign, but also glad I had the itch otherwise I would not of gone to the Dr’s and my BC would not of been found.

Bingowings - Please go back to your onc or GP’s and demand to be looked at either a mamo, MRI, CT, you need to know what the itch is, certainly need to make sure it is nothing sinister.

Hope all is well with you Bingo, thinking of you
Sending love and light
sarahlouise xx

Interesting little thread. My partner complained of an itchy breast in August 2010, did nothing about it, went for a routine mammogram in January 2011 and was diagnosed with bc. One month later, mastectomy. Seems now to us that there was a connection but maybe she is just one of those rare ones!

Good luck everyone.

Hi
I was initially diagnosed 2.5 years ago and I also had an itchy breast in the area I eventually found the lump. Just had a recurrence which I found whilst stratching an itch, so I do think there is a relationship and if I get an itch in the skin on the other side I will make sure I check throughly for any lumps and keep an eye on it.

In my view the body has ways of telling you things are not right and all you have to do is learn the signals - now that seems to be the hard part!

Good luck to all

This is really interesting. I had an itchy breast for about six months before my dx. On recall I was not surprised to find that the issue was with my right breast. I thought it was perhaps the fact that I had put on weight and my underwired bras were a bit tight which was causing the problem.
There may well be something in this. Catherine

I also found my lump while scratching an itch :o(

Hi ladies,

Still got an itch and now its really worrying me, shall be going to the Dr’s first thing monday morning and demanding a CT scan (last one was oct last year) I was told I would have CT’s once every 3 months and its been nearly 6 months since the last one and I’ve got lung secondaries. I’m trying not to loose my temper about this but its really bugging the hell out of me now. What else can I do?? other than go to my GP any advice would be most appreciated.
love and light

sarahlousie xx