Hello,

I wonder if you can give me a bit of advice.  I have dense breasts and a history of fibrous cysts.  When I was 51, (4 years ago) I had a routine mammogram, which I received a letter saying that it did not show any features of concern.

2 weeks later whilst drying myself after a shower, I felt a lump in my left breast that hadn't been there previously.  I wasn't worried as over the years I have had numerous lumps checked out which always turned out to be fibrous cysts. Also I had just started taking HRT, I thought it was related. I made an appointment to see my GP and he agreed that it was probably due to the increase in estrogen, which has always been the trigger for my cysts in the past.  I went for a biopsy and thought nothing of it, as I have had several the past that have turned out to be benign.  To my utter amazement, I was told that the biopsy showed that I had Invasive Lobular Breast cancer, which he suspected had been there for over a year.  After an MRI it showed a further area of concern, so rather than have further testing, I requested to have a full mastectomy. The results came back that the area was Lobular Carcinoma in-situ.  I was prescribed Tamoxifen but I was really struggling with the side affects.  When I relayed all of my side affects at my 1st year consultation with my breast surgeon, he up-loaded my breast cancer results into the on-line predict tool and the outcome was 0.7% chance of recurrence.  However, he advised me to keep taking it.  I stopped 2 months later.  From that stopping point, I started to bleed, having not had a period for well over a year.  On further investigation, I had a 6" polyp removed from my cervix.  3 months later, I had another polyp removed from my womb. Another 3 months, I had a 2nd polyp removed from my cervix.  My gynaecologist told me that she sees lots of women who have been prescribed Tamoxifen and it is a recurring problem.

I am now on yearly mammograms on my right breast, which I have zero faith in.  my last one was done on Friday 15th March, which I have had a letter saying it showed no features of concern.  However, last night whilst undressing for bed, I lifted my right arm to brush my hair and noticed an indent in the breast tissue under my right nipple.  Should I be concerned and raise it with the Macmillan Nurses at my Breast Clinic? I am 55 and I wonder if it is to do with loss of breast density due to my age, as I am now 55, or whether I should flag it as a concern?  There is no lump, but it has been quite tender over the last few weeks. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my post and concerns.  I really appreciate your feed back.