HI ALL,
It is soo infuriating to be dismissed by the medical profession!
I was 41, no family history, then, but due to my diagnosis mum went for a mammo at 66, then screening stopped at 65, she had no lump to be felt but 2 areas, 1 dcis another grade 3, needed chemo and herceptin like me, but im also on aromisin after oophrectomy…
But i strongly believe stress has a big contributary factor, ok we might have a prediposition to cancer but extreme stress can trigger it,
Jill
Hi All,
I was dx in april this year 47 years old, after finding a “dimple”, mum dx 5 years ago aged 68, cousin dx 2 years ago aged 57 and aunt dx last year aged 70.
Told Gp family history and got an urgent referal thank god, 12mm invasive ductal carcenoma, high grade, grade 2 with 3/20 lymph nodes affected. WLE & SNB then ANC clearance, just started chemo but having genetic testing when its finished as I have 2 sisters, 2 daughters (aged 22 & 13) and 2 grandaughters.
Screening should start at a much younger age
Tracey x
Hi All,
I was 43 diagnosed Oct 2009.
I had been to GP 4 months earlier and told I had nothing to worry about which was true with the lump I originally went with but the mammogram picked up grade 3 tumor on my other breast.I personally feel any change should be seen by a breast consultant and not just dismissed by a GP AS hormonal as mine was.
Wendy xx
I do often wonder if GPs would benefit from regular training about various cancers. If you read a lot of the stories around in the news and magazines there seems to be an awful lot of symptom dismissal at GP level. In my own case I saw the same GP most of the time, but also 2 others if he wasn’t available. I found the level of knowledge regarding drug treatments and even radiotherapy lacking. The one I saw regularly thought Herceptin was a tablet you took once a day, yet this was at the time it was never out of the news on account of the ladies who went to court and they had the letters to say my treatment was intravenous.
Another GP stopped what I was saying and said “whoa, you’re talking to the wrong person, I don’t know anything about breast cancer”. This was about a week after my diagnosis and I was sitting there shaking. I was going to the Maggies Centre for a bit and one of the staff there told me the amount of patients they get saying to them their GP doesn’t seem to know what it going on with their treatment was shocking. Towards the end of my treatment it became evident that they had not been bothering to read letters from my Consultants (the practice manager told me letters had been sent to my file marked “no action” when Consultants had asked them to prescribe something for me, I was having to chase things up weeks later).
The worst story I’ve read this week is about a lady who is dying from advanced ovarian cancer, which was wrongly diagnosed as IBS or a stomach infection by various GPs over a long period. How frightening is that?
I was 42 when dx, I had a 5 month old baby. I felt no lump just a thickening so was easily reassured at my anti- natal appts when they said it was due to my pregnancy. It wasn’t until I changed GP’s and happened to mention the thickening and they sent me to an urgent appt at the one stop clinic and I was diagnosed that day (5cm grade 2). I was so shocked, no family history.
Tess x
Hi, I am very interested in this thread, because I was only 43 when I was diagnosed in 2007. Thankfully, it was caught early, and because there was no spread to the nodes and the lump was only 8mm, I only needed a lumpectomy, rads and Tamoxifen. One of my friends commented that I was young to get it, then she went on to say that whatever age you are, it still sucks. When I initially went to the hospital, I was told I had a fibroadenoma, then I was called back for a core biopsy, and BC was diagnosed.
I was 41 years old at diagnosis with a six month old baby. There is no significant family history of breast or any other cancers.
My doctor was fab though and referred me urgently and my cancer was confirmed six days after my initial doctors appointment.
I also feel that there is not enough done to make younger women more aware of the need to check themselves. I remember several times seeing articles about breast cancer symptoms and what to look out for but I honestly never thought it applied to me as I was young with no family history! I now know better and try to spread the word whenever I can.
Scmooley, I have found that some young women I have met around the mid 30s age group are not aware at all. A case in point are the 2 hygienists at my dental surgery. When I finished treatment and was going back to the dentist again, they both said they would never think to check themselves and even if they did wouldn’t know what to do.
The foreign bank I worked in for years used to send us all for BUPA health screening every year and the company doctor taught all the women how to self examine - I had been doing this for 20 years when I found the lump.
I do think there needs to be more awareness as it is associated as an ‘older’ persons cancer. It didn’t eve cross my mind that I could get Breast Cancer by the time I was 30!
Hopefully we will raise a little awareness and make a point of this as myself and some other lovely ladies are going on a charity trek end of Sept with some celebs and tv crew. It would be fantastic to use the opportunity to even just provoke some thoughts into just quickly checking themselves, or taking that step to see their GP with any concerns.
Paula x
Hi, I was 41 when diagnosed in January this year - no family history. I was in the shower when I found the lump, I never self examined as I thought I was too young.
GP was great he said he referred all ladies with a lump to breast clinic on the 2 week referal program.
Michele
Hi
I was diaganosed in May 2010 aged 41. Originaly it was DCIS then when they tested lump after WLE they discovered it was cancer, cancer did not show up on mammogram, ultrasound or core needle biopsy.
I was 62 [pretty standard].I give talks to medical students at our GP surgery and I always stress that they should never dismiss a woman’s concerns about bc because she is ‘young’.
Eeyore, that was pretty much what happened to me. I had a fibroid that was hiding a tumour, so didn’t find out until the week after I had the WLE as it didn’t show on the tests.
Thank you everybody for all your posts and information, please keep your posts coming.
Horace - what you do is exactly what is needed all over the country! I make a point of telling anybody and everybody who will listen to me about just how many people there are and how GPs should not dismiss people who ‘don’t fit into that category’.
Ruby
I had not long turned 32 when diagnosed, no family history at all. My GP was brilliant and referred me straight away even though she thought it would be nothing because it appeared to be mobile and smooth. At the hopsital first ultrasound was inconclusive and needle test came back negative but to be safe they advised me to come back to repeat test 6 weeks later. 2nd time at hospital, tumour still hard to find with ultrasound, 2nd needle test was negative so decided to do core biopsy. Turns out tumour was being hidden behind a fibrous lump which was what I could feel and what made me go to GP. Was 2cm, grade 2 and thankfully nodes clear. That was almost 6 years ago.
Hi
I was 33 when i found a lump and dismissed by the doctor,6 months later and now 34 i was dx only after seeing a second doctor who said it was nothing but i could go for the scan to put my mind at rest and even at the hospital the breast cancer nurse said was i was having pains because i kept prodding myself!
makes you wonder…
I was 38 at dx (Feb 2008), my mum was 47 first time and 68 the second time. She is still here aged 76.
Rachy xx
Hi
My diagnosis came the day after my 37th birthday. No family history.
I was extremely lucky in that my GP referred me immediately when I went there, slightly concerned about a lump. I was seen, and tested, very shortly afterwards.
My diagnosis of DCIS came following a WLE 3 months later. After further surgery of a mastectomy it has been confirmed as only intermediate grade DCIS and no invasive bc.
I am extremely fortunate that my GP acted so swiftly.
Samm xx
Hi everyone, I was 39 when I was diagnosed but had found the lump a few years earlier and had it checked out as soon as I found it. Kept going back but was told it was ok! After mastectomy I had 10 years clear then got diagnosed with bone mets aged 49. I have recently had my 60th birthday and although still having treatment, I feel well and am still enjoying life. Even towed back the caravan from Cornwall to Scotland a few weeks ago…not by choice…my husband is in plaster because of a leg injury. I am caring for him now! Love to all, Val
I was 48, no family history.
Val you give us all hope for a future!