Hi, i have been referred to the breast unit today .
i have just come back from my gp , i have a lump that was checked out last year ,but was told it was benign and nothing to worry about .
the gp thinks it has got bigger, she said she does,nt think it is anything serious but she is referring me as a routine, not urgent referral.
is it possible for benign lumps to get bigger, i just cant stop worrying now , any opinions appreciated thanks juli.
Benign lumps can get bigger. Fibroadenomas can get quite big as can cysts. Your GP has done the right thing in referring you and the waiting sucks but its always best to know what you are dealing with.
Good luck
Hi, thanks for reply ,i,m really scared now , i have just received my appointment already , and i only saw my gp on thursday, and she said she was only referring me as routine not urgent , but my appointment is for monday 27th, so just over a week.
she said she didnt think that the lump seemed cancerous at all ,but now i,m thinking was she lying to me.
i just dont know what to do , if the appointment had not been for a few more weeks i would not have worried so much. but know it seems like its urgent , i,m panicking now ,thanks for reading ,juli.
Juli, don’t worry about the appointment being so soon. About 7 years ago I found a lump and went to my GP. He said he’d fax a referral and I should hear from them within a month. Later that day, the breast clinic rang to say they could see me the next day. I panicked and thought it must be bad news. But the reality was it was a cyst and they just happened to have a free appointment. People sometime cancel appointments so don’t worry too much (easier said than done I know). Good luck with your appointment and let us know how you get on. In the meantime, if you need to talk, go ahead, there’s always someone on here who can help/listen.
Hi, thanks for your quick reply , i know you are probably right ,and i was just lucky to get in so soon, i guess i panicked because i thought it was only urgent referrals that were seen within two weeks, and the gp defiantly said routine ,so thats why i was so worried ,thanks again ,juli.
Hi
I wouldn’t read anything into the fact that you have got an earlier appointment. The guidelines for referral to a breast clinic state that anyone with a lump (and this means either benign or cancerous) must be seen within 2 weeks. Your GP will not lie to you. If she thought it was a problem she would say. Doctors these days never give out false hope as it is totally unethical. The referral will be out of her hands and decided by the hospital based on her findings which is a lump, nothing more at this stage. And yes, benign lumps can grow and get very large so the fact that it has grown is no reason on its own to suspect cancer.
Thanks for your replies, it is so nice to know that there are people on this site that are willing to help you .
i just need to stop worrying i know , but its not easy is it , its just impossible to get it out of my mind, but at least i have not got to wait to long for my appointment, thanks juli.
Hi, just need to vent a bit , i have felt better over the weekend , but today i,m feeling really worried again.
i keep going over what the dr said , that she did,nt think it was cancer and that she would have referred me urgently if she had thought that.
but i still keep thinking she might be just saying that as she knows i am a worrier.
keep feeling the lump and i think it does feel harder than before ,but then my period is due in a week ,so maybe that is why it feels a bit harder .maybe thats why she thought it felt bigger , i guess i am trying to convince myself, only 1 week to go , juli.
Hi Juli
Sorry to hear you’re so worried. Do give the helpline here a ring and have a chat with one of the nurses, they’re a good listening ear. Calls to the helpline are free, 0808 800 6000 open Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm and Sat 9am - 2pm.
Take care,
Jo, Facilitator
Hi Juli
Please don’t think that your doctor wouldn’t tell you the truth, even though you are a worrier. If she said she didnt think it was cancer, then that’s what she would mean. If she was suspicous or doubtful of what it was, she would have told you to wait and see or told you she didnt know for sure rather than say she didnt think it was cancer. It would be more than her jobs worth to lie outright to you,believe me.
Hi, thanks for reply , i know i,m probably worrying over nothing ,but your imagination runs away with itself doesn,t it ,and you automatically think the worst, hope everyone else is feeling okay ,juli.
Hi, just got the all clear , thanks to everone on this board who repplied to me ,and made me feel better .
i hope everyone else who is waiting for appointments and results get good news , juli.
That’s good news!
Always check out a lump - never get complacent.