Breast pain and lump: what should I expect when attending the breast clinic?

Hi there, 

new to the chat, but just wanted some guidance and information on being referred to the breast clinic.

saw my GP today regarding a large lump and pain that I’ve been experiencing for the last few weeks; for a referral, which is good, just to minimise the anxiety and not knowing what the eff is going on.

but just wondering what I should expect when attending the breast clinic? 

any information and advice would be helpful. thank you in advance! 

victoria x

  • Hi Victoria and a warm welcome to our forum, 

    You did well to go and see the GP today about this large lump and pain you have experienced in the last few weeks - it's always important to get these things checked and it's good that they are referring you to the breast clinic where you will be able to find out exactly what is going on. We have information on our website on your referral to a breast clinic and you can find out more too on this page about the tests you might have during your breast clinic appointment. Have a look too at the information from the Breast Cancer Now website on what to expect at your breast clinic appointment and they also have this handy booklet on what happens at the breast clinic

    As nothing quite replaces hearing from actual personal experiences, I have also edited the title of your post to add the words 'breast clinic' so that it can be spotted by others who have been through the process of being referred to the breast clinic and having been through it all before, they will I am sure be happy to share their breast clinic experiences with you. 

    Our cancer nurses are also just a free phone call away so don't hesitate to give them a call on this free number 0808 800 4040 - their line is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm and they will be happy to answer any question you might have on your referral. 

    I hope you won't have to wait too long to be seen and that it all turns out to be nothing of concern. 

    Best wishes, 

    Lucie, Cancer Chat Moderator

  • Hi there,

    From my own experience, I had a '1 stop' appointment. There they did an ultrasound, then a mammogram. They then took some biopsies and placed titanium markers where they biopsied. All of this was painless for me, albeit daunting obviously. 

    I then had another mammogram to look at the placement of the titanium markers. Then waited 10 days for results. Like you, I had breast pain and a large lump, but it came back as a benign fibroadenoma. It's a scary experience, but honestly, painless xx

  • Okay thank you so much for your response. 
    I’m still waiting for my referral, currently reviewing whether or not to go private for an ultrasound etc as I pay for some sort of insurance through work. But will need to wait and see.