They think it’s cancer - but could they be wrong?

Living with secondary breast cancer Supporting each other and sharing experiences
1

I found a lump in my breast last year and it disappeared so I didn’t do anything about it.

Only this time, it was much bigger so I decided to go to the doctors. The doctor couldn’t feel it but referred me to the breast clinic anyway. The doctor at the clinic couldn’t feel it and said it was just normal breast tissue but she sent me for a scan anyway.

They did the ultra scound and found some abnormalities that they were concerned about, a lump and also something under my arm. They sent me for a mammogram and the mammogram confirmed their findings and also showed up calcification on my breast.

They’ve told me they think it’s cancer and they will be very surprised if the biopsy results don’t confirm that.

I have prepared myself for the cancer to be confirmed but everyone keeps telling me how they often get it wrong and it turns out not to be cancer.

Does this happen? Or am I just deciding myself?

2

Sorry, I meant deluding myself

3

Gemma

 

A scary time.  I have been there.

 

I think it depends who told you they thought it was cancer.  An experienced consultant radiographer would not say that they thought you had cancer unless they were pretty sure.  I was told by a consultant radiographer just from a mammogram.  Although it was shocking I actually preferred that someone was upfront with me and let me get used to it before confirmation through the biopsy.  Cancer is also a very broad disease and so being told you probably have cancer can mean very different things.  Wait for the biopsy results but my view is that be grateful that medical staff are prepared to be upfront.  If of course they are wrong then go out and have a very big glass of something to celebrate.

 

Bella