The almost casual dismissal of pain as an early symptom of breast cancer has long troubled me. And this morning, following the very sad death of Sarah Harding ( a young woman who was diagnosed too late, having dismissed the pain around her breast as a probable cyst), the bee in my bonnet is buzzing ever louder.
I accept that pain is not a USUAL symptom of early breast cancer. But it certainly CAN be! In my own case, it was the pain that guided me to discover the lump. I can only describe it as a gnawing pain, a gnawing pain that continued from the time I first went to the GP right up until my mastectomy almost ten long weeks later. I imagine the location of the tumour has some bearing on the pain factor. If the cancer is growing in, say, the favoured fleshy upper, outer quadrant of the breast then pain is unlikely to be an issue. If the tumour is sited around the exquisitely sensitive, nerve ending-charged nipple area, as mine was, then you may well experience the awful sensation of that damned rodent persistently chewing away 24/7.
Far too many reputable symptom guides still refer to ‘a hard painless lump.’ The NHS website states that “Breast pain is not usually a symptom of breast cancer.” Breast Cancer Now gives the same message: “On its own, pain in your breasts is not usually a sign of breast cancer.” The presence of pain as an early symptom appeared to lessen any sense of urgency in the perception of the professionals and delayed my own diagnosis. I cannot imagine for one moment that my experience is unique.
No one wants to flood already overwhelmed GP surgeries with a deluge of women seeking advice for normal, cyclical breast discomfort but surely the wording of Breast Cancer Symptom Checkers could reflect the reality that pain IS an initial presenting symptom for some. A simple change in emphasis and word order may be all that is needed: perhaps ‘Pain may be an early symptom, but this is not common,’ rather than ‘Pain is not usually a symptom.’
Rant over. As you were…
Pat x
