Hello, I am new here and still going through things. I am 47 years old and have three young children.
Not sure what is going on but Google is not my friend at the moment.
I have had a pain in my nipple for the last several weeks. I decided to get a mammogram privately at the start of August as I was so panicked and wouldn’t you know, I had a recall a few days later. They did a second mammogram and ultrasound which came back as normal. Apparently the recall was because I had some overlapping skin. I was relieved for a few days that everything seemed ok. However, I still have the pain in the nipple as well as risen Montgomery gland. This seems to be main source of the pain but when I raised my arm I have also noticed a dent in the areola below the nipple. I had no idea this was a concerning symptom and now I am so scared and also confused. I have an appointment coming up with my GP to discuss further as I didn’t discuss anything with a doctor after the scans I had privately. but I hadn’t realised breast cancer doesn’t necessarily show up on mammogram. Again how Ill informed am I!? Do I need to push for further testing if I have a dent? I don’t have dense breasts so not sure if something should have come up on the mammogram and ultrasound. Sorry for the long post.
Hi @katmb76 I just wanted to welcome you to the forum where you will find a lot of support. I’m sure people will be along shortly to give you the benefit of their experience.
The advice is generally to avoid Google until you have clearer indication of your specific diagnosis and, if it is breast cancer (which it may well not be) even then to stick to reputable sites such as Cancer Research UK, MacMillan, the NHS and, of course, Breast Cancer Now. I know it’s hard to not Google, most of us do it (including me) but be aware that most of the “information” that you will get on there will not apply to you and may well be years out of date.
It is true that mammograms are good for spotting potential ductal carcinomas but even then it can be tricky if breasts are dense. Lobular cancers can be difficult to find on mammograms as they are not comprised of cells formed into lumps, rather the cells form in sheets on top of each other, kinda like flaky pastry.
Despite your private scan, I would expect your GP to refer you to a breast clinic, where you should be seen and tested within 28 days (the two week protocol ended in 2023). It doesn’t always happen unfortunately, particularly if MRIs are involved, as these are NHS targets rather than guarantees.
The vast majority of women referred for breast examination do not have breast cancer, there are a number of benign things which it could be. It may well be that your mind will be put to rest at the appointment, however, if that is not possible, the difficulty comes in waiting for results which could take several weeks. During this time it helps to keep distracted by arranging positive things with friends and family if you can.
I wish you luck with your appointments and please use the forum to ask questions, seek support or just download.
Thank you for the reply. I feel like I am in an alternate universe at the moment. I have three kids and the youngest is 5, just diagnosed with autism. I feel so scared
For them more than me.
I have noticed in general that there have been more twinges in my breasts since I’ve got older. Is there any change with your menstrual cycle? Could you be perimenopause or is that not a consideration?
I had a lump that I found myself and tbh wasn’t very clear on mamogram. As it was a grade 1 slow grower, was quite possibly in existence on prior mammogram, but not showing up at the time. It did however show up well on US scan, so yours being negative with that also is reassuring.
As the pain is near the nipple, keep an eye out for changes to your nipple - inversion or skin changes. Its difficult to know if the areola dent is sighificant, have you raised your arm to check in the past and not had the dent happen, or is it a thing you’ve recently done as hypervigillent now? In the grand scheme of treatments etc a few weeks is not likely to make a huge difference, so perhaps see how it is after your next period. There are some things meantime to be hopeful about - neg mammogram, neg USS and no lump as sutch.
Its not easy being a woman sometimes, extra worries as we age, however, try not to jump to an early grave as a conclusion and worry for your children, you are a long way of such things.
It’s crap, but at the moment, time will be give answers, if its sinister, it will become more obvious. If it goes away, it could be hormone related.
@katmb76 welcome to the for we are here for you with love, respect and support.
I complete agree with @Tigress time for your GP to step in and referrer you for further investigation.
My heart goes out to you with three young children. Take one day at a moment very easy for me to say, when you are feeling so anxious. Try to eat good food, walk in the park and most of all confide in that special friend over a cup of tea.
Wishing you well, with health and happiness ahead, please let us know how your getting on.
Thank you both for your kind comments. My nipple feels very sore when I press on it, and the dent is definitely a concern. I have tried doing a breast exam but my breasts are both very bumpy so I am going to let the breast clinic do their thing now. I am just causing more pain for myself at this stage! I have had health anxiety over the last few years and now my husband and my mum just think it is all in my head! The normal mammogram and ultrasound have given them the confirmation they need that there is nothing wrong with me. I feel very alone so it is nice to have forums like this to come and vent in. Thank you again x
I’m sorry that you are having to deal with so much all at once @katmb76 but even if you have breast cancer, which you very well may not, please understand that early stage BC is eminently treatable and, indeed, no-one dies from it as your breasts are not organs. It is hard not to catastrophise but the odds are very much in your favour. It is also very common for loved ones to underestimate the emotional trauma of suspecting BC but we’ve all been where you are now, so use the forum during this time. Alternatively, if it would help you to talk things through, call the BC Now nurses on 0808 800 6000 from 9.00-16.00 (13.00 on Saturday) and I assure you that you will feel better for having had a chat with these wonderful women who don’t rush you. We’ll help you get through this.
I have seen my gp, and she has referred me to the breast clinic. She did a thorough breast exam, which in itself was very useful as I actually had been doing it all wrong it seems! She didn’t feel anything unusual but owing to the pain etc it is best to see the specialists as you have said.
I am just wondering if the specialist on the NHS is likely to order a breast MRI if there is no palpable lump? I have already had a mammogram done (well two actually as I had screening and diagnostic) in the last month so I doubt they would order their own? I guess I wait to see what happens when I finally get my appointment
They may well do as it is the most reliable way to check for lobular cancer. I had a ductal carcinoma and it was small enough to not be palpable but it was detectable by mammogram so I didn’t have an MRI (thankfully as I am HIGHLY claustrophobic). Once you get your appointment, you just have to give yourself over to it. Good news that your GP couldn’t detect anything. Do keep us informed.
Hi, I would talk to your doctor and yes, would see if they can do another more expansive test; not sure if another mamo or a ct scan. I didn’t have any pain but did have an inverted nipple that I thought was normal for me. My mamo did show something, so had a ct scan and they first thought I had a 2 cm lump under my nipple, that could be removed by a breast saving lumpectomy. I had the surgery and later they told me it was 5 cm tumor that was more deep than wide, which was harder to see in my dense breast, and 16 of 20 lymph nodes were positive and I needed a mastectomy.
I only mention my situation because I want you to be your best advocate, and demand more test to make sure you get a second opinion with more advanced testing to absolutely make sure. It could absolutely be nothing, and pray that is the case, but only another test can put your mind to ease for sure. Best wishes and feel free to ask any questions.
Like Entropy a previous poster, they said mine was a slow grower that had been growing for years. I was 65 when diagnosed. you are much younger, so pain could be hormonal, but as someone suggested, going to a breast clinic is a good idea.
Just to let you know, I have managed to get an appointment with the breast clinic tomorrow evening as there was a cancellation which is amazingly quick to be seen.
It is 2am now and obviously I cannot sleep! I have done way too much googling which is going to ensure I am a total mess at the appointment tomorrow. But I need to be able to advocate for myself properly. I obviously can’t demand an mri but I hope the doctor I see will listen to my concerns properly. my GP didnt see any dents in my areola but the painful raised lump was cause for concern. Thank you all for being so kind and I will keep you updated
