More waiting…

Have I got breast cancer? Appointments and waiting for test results
1

Im sorry for the long post, I ramble when I’m anxious !

I’m just looking for some reassurance I guess? Thank you!

For a bit of background at 25 I was naive and wasn’t very breast aware however after seeing a post on social media about breast awareness I checked my breast and to my surprise found a lump around the size of a pea. After leaving it for a few weeks and noticing it had grown I went to the gp who referred me to the breast unit as the lump appeared to feel quite hard and fixed. I was also experiencing some spontaneous orange single duct nipple discharge from the affected breast

After being convinced I was going to walk out of the appointment being told it was a fibroadenoma I had quite the shock being told there was a solid mass with changes to the surrounding tissue so my ultrasound was graded u4 and the mass was suspicious of breast cancer. I had a core biopsy done that day. The doctor and breast care nurse advised me to prepare for the worst but because of my age there was a good chance it was benign.

After the longest 3 weeks of my life I went in for my results appointment today to be told that I need to have a vaccum assisted biopsy as the cells came back “abnormal” however there was no mention of cancer and the doctor kept saying that because of my age she’s not worried and it’s probably PASH. But from my understanding PASH wouldn’t explain the nipple discharge or the abnormal cells?

As a mum of 2 young children all of this uncertainty is getting to me. Can I relax knowing that this is unlikely to be an invasive cancer at this stage otherwise that surely would have been picked up on the biopsy? Has anyone had a similar experience and it’s turned out to be nothing? Should I be worried?

I’ve now been booked in for my second results appointment to discuss the findings of the VAB on the 20th of November, I was first referred to the breast clinic on the 21st of September so I would have been waiting 2 months for answers

1 Like
2

The waiting is the hardest part. It takes a long time from the initial appointment to results due to the team undergoing pathology and then discussing next steps at an MDT.

I had similar this year after having cancer last year. The results were atypical cells with no malignancy. My annual mammogram was on the 10th July and my final results were on the 20th October. Be rest assured most biopsies are not cancer and the length of time you are waiting, although nerve wracking and anxiety provoking isn’t an indication of your results.

Good luck for the 20th. Keep the forum updated. The members are amazing: empathetic and caring.

Take care.

3

Hi jb, please don’t apologise for the long post, this is exactly the place for it.

From what I’ve read and heard from others here, being sent for a vacuum assisted biopsy after “abnormal” cells is really common. It usually just means the core sample showed something the pathologists couldn’t fully label, so they want a bigger piece of tissue to be sure. A lot of these come back as benign or “borderline” changes that are simply monitored or removed.

On the nipple discharge, you’re right that PASH on its own isn’t the usual explanation, but single duct discharge is often linked to other benign things like a small papilloma in the duct. It’s a really good question to write down and ask at your appointment on the 20th, along with anything else on your mind. Having a list helps when your head is spinning in that room.

Two months of not knowing with two little ones at home is exhausting. Try to lean on someone close to you and be kind to yourself until then.

Wishing you all the best for the 20th, please let us know how you get on.

1 Like