Hi everyone - just discovered this site and hoping there is someone out there who is/has been in my position. I am 46 years old and late last year discovered lump which after quick referral and having a FNA (painful!) was told I had a fibrodenoma in one breast and two small cysts in the other (which I never knew about) it was benign and no further follow up needed.
However, that was nearly a year ago and it has got bigger (I think) and causing a bit of discomfort (not pain). Should I go to GP and ask about removal? Its very close to my ribcage so don’t even know if this is possible. I don’t want to be paranoid but after reading some of the old discussions on this site maybe I should, just don’t know what to do as I have had a lot to do with docs and hospital over the last 18 months for another problem, I feel a bit of a hypocondriac!.
if I were you I would definitely have it removed. I was 47 when I found a lump, had tests which came out benign. I had the lump out because I didn’t like the look of it and was then told it was cancer after all. Fibroadenomas are common in women under 30 but increasingly less common in women after that age. The most common kind of lump in women aged 45 to 50 are cysts, but they are fluid filled and different from hard lumps
My lump showed no signs of increasing in size but it didn’t get any smaller either over the six months it was there. Luckily it was a grade 1 tumour and no lymph node involvement
I had a mouse which was sampled 3 and a half years ago, I noticed a change in my nipple above it and slight growth about 6 - 8 months ago and thought it was nothing, got it checked and underneath it was grade 1 cancer 18mm - so yes, get it checked! Just because its close to your rib cage doesn’t make it impossible to be cancer, my friends BC was under her arm/on her rib cage more than in her breast.
Strange though, on my path report having my entire left breast in front of him the pathologist didn’t mention a benign mouse!
Good luck, it may be nothing but best to get it checked. Let us know how you get on, xx
Hey thanks for advice ladies, that has made my mind up, I will see GP next week to get a referral, hopefully the wait will not be too bad. Will let you know how I get on.
Hope you are both fully recovered? Keep in touch…x
Well done, you should get referred straight away hopefully to a one stop shop clinic where you will either get results that day or a week later. Am doing fine, recovering from surgery and about to start chemo. Hoping you don’t join our club, no offence Good luck, x
We can never be too careful. I would get it gone personally, my tumour was very deep and against my chest wall, only know it was there when one boob became an F cup overnite from the D I was!!! My body was reacting to the tumour even though I couldn’t feel anything there due to it’s position.
It’s weird too, 6 weeks previously I was convinced ‘something’ was wrong with that one,but could not find anything… seems subconciously we are more aware than we think eh.
Best of luck MarsBar, and hope it’s nothing at all bad.
i had a fibroadenoma removed at the age of 38 . They tried to talk me out of it by sayin that i would have a nasty scar. but due to the size of it and the pain that i was having , also i was a little concerned if another lump developed near it and me not realising. I was assured that if another lump did occur i would know. i pushed to have it removed. I Luckily it wasn’t cancer and the scar was nearly invisible. Don’t let them talk you out of it
I was diagnosed 2 yrs after in the other breast. to me i had 1 lump, the lump that was cancerous, behind it on the ultra sound they picked up a fibrodenoma. So when they assured me i would know if another lump developed went straight out of the window.
Hello everyone! I discovered this site today and was hoping for some advice. I am 26 years old and 2 years ago I discovered 5 lumps. I was told after having a FNA that had Fibrodenoma’s in both breasts. All were U2 and was also benign C2.
2 years later my lumps are bigger and sometimes quite painful. Should I have them removed? Do I have more chance of developing Cancer? I went to see my GP and she said best to have them removed as it will be much of a risk when I turn 40. I am worried about the scars as I am Asian so I don’t think it will ever fade away :-(, Please advise! Take care.
I would go anyway and see someone. I have scars but compared with your life a scar isn’t as significant. Do you get the kind of scars that over grow? Can’t remember the name of it.
In addition to the support and information you have here, please feel free to give our helpline a call where you can talk your concerns through in confidence on 0808 800 6000, the line is open weekdays 9-5 and Sat 9-2.
Thank you Molennium, I have asked my GP for a referral hence I am going for the op, wish me luck! I don’t know the scar which overgrows, it’s just that I never had scars and that is why I was a bit apprehensive.
Ray, just wanted to add that I appreciate your concerns being Asian. I have afro caribbean blood in me (1/8th) but to look at my Dad you would think he was 100% afro caribbean when he’s only 1/4. (sorry picking my words carefully as the “correct term” changes so often and ones I don’t get offended by do offend people these days).
Anyhow what I was trying to say was that I scar darker than most “white” people. My skin is olive/capuccino if you like and whereas most people I know have a white scar my scars tend to be darker than my natural skin tone.
That said, regardless of how you scar getting the treatment thats right for you is what matters - I have had skin sparing mx and recon so have darker scars around where my nipple used to be and will undoutedly have a dark scar across my back but hey ho, its better than cancer!
Thank you Ostrich for your comments. I am now over the scar issue and I have realised that I should be concerned about my health.
I had an hospital appointment yesterday and I had the scan and the FNA test (painful as always). Apparently my previous lumps have gone smaller however I have developed new ones (which I knew about). Lymph Nodes under my armpits and few on both breasts and one big one under my breast against my ribcage.
The result was that they are not harmful and I have nothing to worry about, she also tried to talk me out of it by sayin that i would have a scar. But before the appointment I made up my mind to have the op. I have been booked for another appoinment in January 2009 to check if the new lumps are ok. After this check-up I will have the op. Fingers crossed it all goes well.
Good to hear from you Ray and that you are getting yourself checked out and I am glad that you have decided to have the lumps removed. I hope your appointment in January is the same in terms of results - ie nothing to worry about - and hope that you will let us know how you get on. In the meantime, enjoy Xmas. x
Good luck, x