Hi Bcmo777,

A very warm welcome to our forum.

I am sorry to hear that you lost your mum to breast cancer and that your aunt has recently been diagnosed and I can understand your worry. You are doing the right thing by seeing your GP. If s/he feels that there is the slightest chance of this being cancer, you will be referred to a breast clinic, where they will carry out tests to ascertain whether or not there is anything untoward present. You will usually get an appointment through within 2 weeks from the date of referral. This is always a worrying time until you know the outcome of any tests. It can also take another 1-2 weeks to get these back - so possibly another anxious spell! Irrespective of the outcome, you will feel better once you find out.

I also lost my mum to breast cancer and had 2 bouts myself, plus one of pre-cancer, all within a year of one another. I had a lumpectomy for the first and a double mastectomy for the others. That was all 15 years ago now and I still lead a busy and fulfilling life. Diagnosis, treatment and aftercare have all advanced so much in recent years, I lost my mum 28 years ago and there was just no comparison between what we both experienced - I hope that you will find the same.

I hope that all goes well for you with your GP. Please keep in touch and let us know how you get on. We are always here for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hello, and thank you for posting.

I am sorry to hear about your mum and your aunt. When cancer is in the family, people often assume that this greatly increases their risk of developing it, but this isn't necessarily so. Although the genes we inherit may influence our risk, other things do as well. No one is risk-free, and the risk of breast cancer increases for all women as we get older. 

Breast cancer risks and causes are explained on our website. You will see that a family history can increase the risk of breast cancer, but not always by very much. This can depend on how close the affected relatives were and how young they were when they developed the cancer. Breast cancer is common anyway; 1 in 8 women develops breast cancer over their lifetime, but mostly at an older age (above 50). 

So, we all carry some degree of ‘population' risk. In the UK, routine breast screening starts from 50 for most of us, although there is a study asking some women from the age of 47. Some women whose risk is above average can start screening sooner, but only a very few women are offered it in their thirties. 

The first step is to find out if your breast cancer risk is above average enough to justify screening. Your GP can help you to do this. You need to find out if anyone else on either side of your family has a history of breast or other cancers, and if so, how old they were when they developed it. Depending on the family history, your GP can refer you to a breast clinic for a risk assessment or tell you that your risk is much the same as average. 

It is worth reading the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance for women with breast cancer in the family. 

Do talk through with your GP the symptoms you have been getting. Please do get back to us if you have any more questions, or give us a call on 0808 800 4040. We are here from Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm.

Sarah.

Thank you for your kind reply. 

I went to see my GP yesterday and although she was not concerned by my pain or my red spots, she has referred me for a mammogram due to my family history. 

The GP seems to think the pain is related to hormones! I still have pain and this has been ongoing for weeks now- however, my periods have been all over the place and I have been feeling low in my mood. 

I'm glad I called my GP, I'm glad I got myself checked out. Most importantly, due to my family history and the genetics team informing me that I will require breast testing at age 40 and ongoing, I will have a mammogram. 

I'm so sorry to hear of your Mum too. It really is so difficult. I hope you are doing well and I will keep you posted regarding the mammogram! 

Take care and thank you once again xx