I’ve been pondering over this for the best part of a year now, and after a lot of internet searching I thought i should ask for some advice. I havent been to a GP yet because i’m not sure if i’m just being paranoid and I don’t want to waste their time!
Earlier this year i found a small hard lump in my left breast. its on the top part of my breast and it feels the size of an oversized pea and it can be moved about a bit. I’ve kept a close eye on it throughout the year and it hasn’t got any bigger. perhaps it is one of those breast mice? However recently i’ve also had pain in this breast even though I am not on my period. Its tender when I press on the outer side of my breast.
I was just wandering if anyone could give me some advice, whether its proffessional or from personal experience, it would be greatly appreciated.
This sounds like a cyst but I would get it checked out. My lump was high up about where my bra goes across and they were surprised I had found it. Mine did grow over 6 months and I had breast pain but it may have been from prodding it constantly for 6 months. I was too much of a coward to get it checked and was lucky that it hadn’t grown much and I didn’t need chemo but for the small amount of inconvenience to you, it really is worth girding your loins and phoning the doctors. I was seen at the hospital within 3 days and, although it was cancer and not a fatty lump as I hoped, it really wasn’t as bad an experience as I thought, all things considered. I really wished I had had it checked sooner and not spent 6 months worrying about it to the stage that the worrying was taking over my life.
Can’t give you any professional advice but will say that if you don’t get this checked out it will drag you down. You must go and see your GP because at the end of the day it could be lots of things. I do remember once being told that if you had a lump that moved around it was a good sign but don’t know how true that is. Make a appointment now and stop trawling the Internet, you won’t find the answer there and you need some peace of mind. If it helps, a few years ago I had a lump in the roof of my mouth and did nothing about it for weeks until I got so stressed I went to my GP. After hospital referral if was removed and proved to be a cyst. All those weeks of worrying so go for itand let us know how you get on.
We are always here
Norma and Debby are so right - get your head out of the sand and make an appointment NOW! it may be nothing but you will never forgive yourself if it is something and you did nothing.
Also - do not accept no referral to a breast centre from your GP, you should be seen within two weeks.
Just one more point her. I don’t know what treatment Jan and Debby have had, but as a result of a routine mammogram my cancer was detected at a very early stage. This can make so much difference to the treatment! I was luckier than some in the fact that I haven’t lost my breast and have just completed my radiotherapy, so no chemo involved.
So the moral is the early bird catches the worm (so to speak). Get on that phone.
Me again!!
Norma is so so right… If I could have a pound for every time I was asked how long I waited when I found the small pea size lump I would be rich!!! I did not wait, I saw my GP the next day and had a mammo two weeks later and mastectomy a week after that, chemo and radio. Scary I know - and I ticked NO at risk boxes…37, good health, no relatives with cancer…
I am currently fine and hope that my early action on finding the lump saved any further spread.
Have you rung the doctors yet Jo??? Don’t be fobbed off. When I rang my doctors they gave me an app that day after much moaning from me. When I got there, I was told they didn’t have a doctor by that name so the receptionist had given me an app with a fictious doctor to shut me up. I stood at the desk and demanded to see someone…inside I felt on the verge of a crying, hissy fit. Fortunately the doctor took me seriously. Don’t have another weekend of worry…please
my lump was mobile and it was in the upper quadrant as they call it where most lumps are found, whether benign or otherwise.
Unfortunately mine did prove to be cancerous
I went to the doctor within two days of finding the lump. However due to delays in diagnosis it wasn’t removed for about six months. Strangely this made no difference to my prognosis but I had six months of worry so if I were you I’d ask to be referred quickly to a specialist unit. I made the mistake of going to my general hospital instead of a specialist cancer one. They are a lot better in my estimation. When I got mucked about I asked to be referred on to Barts and it was there I was diagnosed.
As everyone else has said yes you must get this checked out. You should ask your doctor for a referral to a specialist breast clinic where you should have a mammogram, an ultrasound and a fine needle aspiration or biospy of the lump. Most breast lumps are benign, but if its cancer it won’t just go away.No one can tell you what the lump is unelss you have it medically examined.
If you haven’t made that appointment today you certainly should do on Monday - you are scared of something which currently has no identity so you are able to create a monster.
We’ve all been there - but not necessarily waited as long as you have - you must have nerves of steel to wait so long - if so then you can cope with an appointment at the doctor and follow up at the hospital supported by your invisible friends on this site.
Thanks so much for your input, I will be going to the doctors as soon as possible! I’ve gotta be honest though, you’ve all made me reeeeeally scared :-S I will just have to hope that because i’m young (19) and have no history of cancer in my family that its a benign lump. The fact that it hasn’t got any bigger over a year has to be a good sign right?
I didn’t mention in my first post that on a routine visit to my nurse in april I told her about my lump and she had a feel and brushed it off as nothing to worry about saying “its when they don’t move that its a problem.” That’s why I’ve been indecisive about making another trip to get it checked again. But as you say its definitely best to be safe than sorry. Unfortunately I’m not registered with a doctor at my uni, I have to wait a couple of weeks before I can get home for an appointment. I don’t suppose anyone knows of anywhere that provides breast checking services? a bit like Brook but for boobs instead of STIs!
Understand your concerns, but please don’t be scared at what you have read here. Remember that most of us on here are the ones that WERE diagnosed so we are the worst scenario so to speak.
Sounds a good sign anyway that the nurse was not concerned. If you are not registered with a G.P. there must be someone at Uni that you can express your concerns to with a view to getting it checked ASAP!
Tomorrow is Monday either phone a GP again and really pile it on, or as I say see the nurse or someone at uni, but PLEASE don’t put it off. Once your mind is at rest you will feel so much better whatever the outcome.
Only you can push this forward and you know it is always in your mind so please promise to do it and let us know , otherwise we will pester you every day!!
The Moderator will probably read this also and may be able to help.
For further information about how to seek medical advice whilst you at uni please do feel free to call our helpline, the number is 0808 800 6000 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm and Sat 9am-2pm.
Have you got that appointment yet. You were going to let us know and hope you have got something sorted.
I shall keep to my promise and keep pestering you.
Hi Jo,
I found a small lump in my right breast above nipple at age 18 too. It was movable. It got taken out, because at that time in China doctors just wanted to be sure or they didn’t have the needle biopsy yet. Anyway it turned out to be benign, so hopefully your is benign too. Will pray for you.
I have just been reading this and I really hope you have seen the doctor and got your appointment.
How ignorant for that nurse to say ‘is nothing because you can move it’. Any lump in a womans (and mans) breast is suspiscious untill proven otherwise!!! Oh this can make me soooooo angry. Not about you, because you are a worried lay person, but about the nurse SHE SHOULD KNOW BETTER.
Anyway I really hope your lump turned out to be something benigne.
I hope your mind is at peace by now.
Well I agree because although I was relieved that the nurse wasn’t worried, I didn’t know whether her passive attitude was a good thing. I’m really sorry guys I still haven’t made an appointment, the problem is I go home on weekends and of course doctor’s practices like to pretend that no one gets ill on weekends, there really should be a law to make them work on saturdays!
I’m going home today and as my mum is a nurse i’ll ask her if she has any connections I can get in to see about this. Thankyou all for nagging me by the way
I do hope that your mum can be of help - a problem shared is a problem halved and all that - can’t believe you still haven’t made that appointment though.
Good luck and best wishes
Maddy xxxx
