Hello all, I found a lump in my left breast last night and this morning my GP made me an urgent referral to our local Breast Clinic - my appointment is 22 January. The lump, according to his notes which of course I read as he was writing them, said the lump was firm, smooth, discrete and 2 inches by 1 inch. Yes, that big. How could I not have noticed it before? He looked very grim and said he was sorry which as you can imagine hasn’t helped my frantic worrying. I know it’s a long shot, but has anyone else had a similar description? I’ve googled madly (I KNOW you’re not supposed to) and my fear is that because it’s “firm” as opposed to, er, squashy, it isn’t a cyst and it will be bad news two weeks today.
One of my friends is undergoing chemo for breast cancer at the moment and she has been incredibly supportive and reassuring about 90% of breast lumps being benign but I am going out of my mind with worry.
All advice gratefully received!
HI I was in a similar situation 3 weeks ago. My GP did an urgent referral and wished me luck as I was leaving. I was sure that i had breast cancer. When I went to the hospital the doctor mmediately reassured me that most lumps are not cancerous but that he would order a mammogram, ultra sound and biopsy to check. The biopsy results came back clear. Mine wasn’t a cyst it was a fibroadenoma. Take care
Hi this seems like a long wait, I would ring up the clinic and see if you can get a quicker referral, with me I was mammogramed on the Thursday, recalled on the Monday and saw the consultant on the Wednesday. You will worry yourself silly having to wait such a long time and no matter what people say to you you can’t help but think about it all the time and then feel it etc… Your friend is right a lot of lumps are not cancerous it could be a number of things. If you have to wait for a couple of weeks you should try to forget about it, distract yourself and don’t GOOGLE this will just really stress you out. Try to maintain a “not worry about what we don’t know” attitude, I appreciate that this is really hard, most of the women in here have been where you are now but there is a lot of support for you here and I am sure lots of people will be joining in to try to reassure you and hold your hand while you wait. Take care x
Hi Razor, you could telephone the secratary of the Consultant you have been referred to and ask if you could have an urgent appointment as you are very worried!!! Please dont google - it is anxiety inducing and a lot of the info you get is anything from 2 - 10 years old. And mostly from people who have had unpleasent experience. The waiting is pretty distressing sometimes.
I spoke to the ladies on the Breast Cancer Care helpline - they helped me to calm own.
Take Care
In my area, two weeks is usual. Generally get most things done on the very last day. I believe that fibroadenomas are fairly solid, so don’t discount this as a possibility. I know it’s difficult not to google/worry. Try to keep busy, and you will get through the wait. With any luck, they should be able to put your mind at rest on the day you visit the clinic.
x
If you have access to private health insurance, you can get seen straight away. I know that may well not be the case but I also know many people who have insurance and dont think to use it.
Hi Panna, thanks for that - I’ve been reading about fibroadenomas (I know, I know, don’t Google!) and thought - well that can’t be me, everything says they’re common (so to speak) for under 30s and I’m knocking on the door of 50. God I hope that’s what it is though. The wait is awful. Really appreciate your kindess and help.
Thank you SDFMEG, I really appreciate your support. Everyone on here is just so kind and so helpful.
Hi Carrie35, I asked the woman at the clinic if the 22nd was the first available appointment and she said yes, in the kind of voice that doesn’t expect to be argued with. A friend currently undergoing chemo down in London said that 2 weeks from GP to hospital wasn’t bad (although I have to say, “urgent” doesn’t really cover it). I’ve got two children aged 18 and 19 and I want to keep my worries from them until I know what I’m facing, or indeed if I’m facing anything, so I could do without the wait but I’ll just have to crack on until then. It’s SO hard not to Google stuff, isn’t it!
Hey Caroline60, that sounds like a plan, I have no idea who I’ve been referred to yet but I will ring my GP’s surgery and ask tomorrow morning. I should have asked lots of questions but I was trying so hard not to cry and to process the information that I just walked out of the surgery in a daze. All I got from my GP was “My, that’s big, I’d say 2 inches by 1 inch, wouldn’t you?” as though we were discussing a cupcake or something.
Thanks Flori35, I’ll do that now. Much appreciated.
Alas Jayne, no insurance. And no money, either. I’ve asked our local private hospital for a quote and it could be as “little” as £330 if I see one consultant and have one mammogram or x-ray, or more than £750 if I have the above and also see the radiographer for an ultrasound (two lots of consultant fees, ultrasound about £250, etc etc) and that doesn’t include if I need a biopsy. I’ll just have to wait but in the meantime I’m taking everyone’s advice on here and going to see if there’s any chance I can get the appointment brought forward. Many thanks for your advice though.
It’s definately worth trying to bring it forward and if your GP has said ‘urgent’ you should at least be top of the list for any cancellations.
I know how frustrating the wait can be, I had routine mamo then recalled so all under NHS but in fairness it was fairly quick, got the letter about 10 days after the mamo and during that time I wasn’t worried as i didnt know I had anything to worry about. I got the letter on a Friday with appt for the Tuesday for ultrasound then had to wait a week for the biopsy results so not too bad. It never occured to me to use my work funded medical insurance until it came to surgery.
I was worried sick during the testing and results but once I knew what I was dealing with, it got a lot easier.
Try and keep busy until 22nd and fight for a cancellation x
5 years ago I found a lump. It was a Friday before the May bank holiday so I couldn’t get an appointment until the Tuesday. The GP saw the lump, contacted the breast clinic and I was seen the following week. I think he knew exactly what it was. Grade 3…
So I think if your GP was really worried, he would get in touch with the hospital.
Fingers crossed
xx
Thanks Jayne and Maltomlin - I’m going to see if they can at least put me on the cancellation list so that there’s a chance I’m seen sooner.
This forum is just wonderful. So much good advice, sympathy and proper information.
Hi Razorkitty, just to add my 2 cents…my GP also found my lump and referred me for an ‘urgent fast track apppointment’,
My GP sucked in her breath and sighed when she told me she could feel a lump approx 2x2 inches in my right breast.
The NICE guidelines state urgent appointments should be within 2 weeks of referral. When the hospital rang me to give me my appointment, for exactly 2 weeks later, I said, “sorry, but I need one quicker, my GP thinks it’s cancer!” to no avail!
At my appointment, the 2x2 lump in the right breast was of no interest to the radiologist, which supports the theory most breast lumps are NOT cancer. Best advice I had was ‘dont self diagnose (via google) and only take heed of the consultant/radiologist who have the facts.’ Didn’t stop me googling, and causing more anxiety though.
They will check both breasts at your appointment, my DCIS was found in the left breast, and sucessfully treated now!
Keep busy, best wishes.
Jac x
Jacx, my sis is a nurse practitioner and she said the “within 2 weeks” guidelines should in practice mean you’re seen within a matter of days, so like some of the lovely respondents on this thread she’s told me to call the consultant’s PA this morning and ask to be seen earlier and if that isn’t possible to be put on the cancellation list. Will report back if I get any joy!
Finally managed to speak to someone at the Breast Clinic, they’re putting me on their cancellation list but they were honest enough to say that someone rarely cancels (unsurprisingly).
I have not Googled anything about breast lumps today. Although I’ll almost certain cave and do so tonight. It’s very hard not to think dark thoughts.
Firstly, I won’t say don’t worry because obviously you are going to worry until you have your appointment.
What I would say is that it doesn’t matter what your GP says, how he says it or whether he says it in a smiley way or a worried way or a I am so sorry way because until you have a mammogram and/or a biopsy he DOESN’T KNOW what the lump is or isn’t.
The reason I say that is when I went to my GP 2½ years ago having found a lump she was 100% sure it was a fibroid lump, she told me it was exactly like one she had etc etc. She still sent me for tests though.
She was right - what she and I could feel was a fibroid lump, unfortunately underneath the fibroid was a 4.5cm cancer lump. So that goes to prove no-one knows what the lump is at this stage.
The only consolation at the time was that because she was so convinced it wasn’t anything serious I wasn’t worried until the day I went back for a biopsy.
What I would say is that 2½ years down the line I am still here, fully recovered and living life exactly as I was before.