Ladies- help please- abnormal breast?

Hi, I have been on this forum for a while as have raised lymph nodes in my neck and collar bone. Ultrasound has shown they are benign reactive nodes but I've never really felt convinced and more keep appearing. 

Anyway, this morning I examined my boobs properly for the first time. I will be 40 soon and thought I should probably start. I was alarmed at what I could feel. I have quite big and heavy boobs and did expect some lumpy tissue. But I can feel all sorts in there and I don't know what is normal? It seems to me that I can feel my nodes/glands all over, there's all sorts of soft lumps and bumps/areas. I can only feel this if I hold my boobs and palpate them, if I'm just sat feeling my boobs as the guidelines tell you to then it all feels fine. I can't feel any hard lumps, but I can feel plenty of definite soft lumps in there.

I have anxiety around my health so naturally I'm feeling worried, but before my mind runs away from me I just wanted to ask other ladies if their breasts feel like this upon examination? Perhaps this is relatively normal and I just didn't know, or maybe I should ask to be seen at the breast clinic?

I'd so appreciate if anyone could let me know what's 'normal' for them? Thanks x

 

  • Hello Danzieeeee.  I had breast cancer twice (still got it in fact) and on both occasions the lumps I felt were hard.  I somehow instinctively knew that they were cancerous.  However, if your gut feeling is telling you that something is wrong, then I would definitely suggest you go to your breast clinic.  The first time I was examined, the Doctor sent me to the hospital for a biopsy as a matter of urgency because of the fact that the lump was hard and not soft.  I asked her if it was a bad sign that the lump was hard and she admitted that breast cancer lumps did tend to be hard. 

    Remember Danzieeeee, it is your RIGHT to ask for a second opinion.  Good luck, Violet, x

  • Hi Violet, thank you for your reply. I'm sorry to hear about your situation and hope you are coping well. 
    I worry about my health so I tend to think everything is bad news.. so unfortunately my gut instinct is often wrong! But I do feel like it is probably worth me checking this out. The breast clinic are the experts so until they've taken a look, I guess I'm not going to know what my "normal" is. 
    Take care of yourself and hope treatment goes well x

  •  

    Hi Danzieeeee,

    A very warm welcome to our forum. Like Violetgirl, I have had 2 bouts of breast cancer and, on both occasions the lumps were hard and felt fixed. The fact that yours are soft and can be difficult to locate sounds hopeful. Many ladies have naturally lumpy breasts and it can sometimes be difficult to differentiate between the "normal" and "abnormal".  It would certainly be worth contacting your GP for advice.

    Please keep in touch and let us know how you get on. We are always here for you.

    Kind regards,

    Jolamine xx

  • Hi Jolamine,

    Thank you for your reply, it is comforting to think that this might not be a worst case scenario.. but I do intend to call the GP tomorrow for a referral to the breast clinic. I have no idea what normal feels like for me, but I assume that some softer lumps and being able to feel glands/ducts might be normal for some ladies (especially, if like me, you have bigger boobs). 
     

    I will keep you updated and appreciate hearing your thoughts x

  • My wife's (she's on this forum), felt more on the softer side of things. Similar to how a reactive lymph node feels. Spongy and mobile. Both the nurse and GP at the surgery weren't sure what to make of it as it didn't present as a hard lump like you read in most posts. However, the breast specialist at the clinic was more sceptical before any US or mammograms had taken place.

    For your own piece of mind, get it checked. Things like this soon consume you, and you'll just waste your life worrying over what is probably nothing.

  • Hi ProfBaw, I appreciate you sharing your wife's journey with me. To be honest, I think I can feel enlarged nodes (of which I have others in my neck and collarbone that the dr's say are benign but Dr Google has scared me witless anout!) so I am going to call the GP tomorrow. I hope it's nothing, I know that most breast issues are not cancer related, but I won't know until I get it checked out. 
    I hope your wife is doing well :-)

  • I've been going to the breast clinic for years, l have duct ectasia inflamed milk ducts they get infected and feel like hard wires in the breast. Lots have been removed and examined fortunately benign but the drs at the clinic say that the mammogram and ultrasound scans are only snapshots of the day they are taken. I have an sos appointment at the clinic and can ring for an appointment if lm worried, or have found changes. 
    lf you are concerned about your breasts do ask your GP for a referral the staff at the clinic are really helpful.

    susie