I'm a 28 year-old male. About a week ago I found a lump in my breast area and went to the GP as it hadn't gone after a few days. The nurse practitioner was very kind and told me she would refer me for urgent investigation although she expected that the lump would turn out to be benign. I don't have any redness, nipple discharge or dimpling / puckering, only a lump (I've since found a smaller lump next to it although I can't be sure it wasn't there when I was examined - I may have had it for years). I've been given an urgent 2-week referral and have a hospital appointment for ultrasound / mammogram / biopsy in just over a week. It's very worrying since men aren't really told to check their breasts so I don't know how long I have had it, which little bumps I can feel are normal and which aren't etc. and I know the prognosis is often poorer for men than women for various reasons. I'm trying to put it out of my mind as much as possible until the appointment but it keeps popping into my mind. I keep telling myself that breast cancer is very rare in men, especially men in thier 20s, and that most likely it won't be anything serious and I will be fine. But still I find myself worrying that it could be cancer despite that not being likely, and that if it is cancer it may have spread too much to be cured, that I won't be able to have kids, that I might die young, die a bad death, have to see my family devastated etc. despite my efforts to keep busy. Has anyone had a similar experience or know anyone who has? How did you cope with waiting for the tests? Do they always do a biopsy or do they do an ultrasound / mammogram first and then see if they need a biopsy?
