Hi LVwill,

A very warm welcome to our forum.

I am sorry to hear about how cancer has impinged upon your family and understand your concerns. You have done the right thing by getting this investigated. Waiting to be seen is always a worrying time. This is never helped by our over-active emptions, which can take us to dark places. I am glad to hear that you have already got your appointment through, so don't have too long to wait.

You will find the staff at the breast clinic are very understanding and helpful. You will see the consultant, who will ask you about your symptoms and examine your breast. You may then be sent for an ultrasound which will show up any lumps. If these look at all suspicious, you may then have a biopsy. This is usually done under sedation. A little anaesthetic is injected into your breast, before a fine instrument with a small clamp at the end is inserted to remove a little of your breast tissue. This is then sent off to pathology for testing. This will decide whether or not your lump is cancerous. It normally takes 1-2 weeks for the results of a biopsy to be returned. 

If you were a little older, you might be given a mammogram first, but as younger breasts tend to be denser, they don't always show up well on mammogram and they tend to be reserved for those over 40.

Not all lumps are cancerous. Many turn out to be benign cysts or due to fibrous or hormonal changes. It is a fact that 80% of people who attend the breast clinic, do not get a cancer diagnosis, so the odds are still good for you. Try to keep busy while you are waiting, as this helps the time to pass. Also try to steer clear of consulting "Dr Google", as this will serve no useful purpose and will only scare you further.

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

Here's hoping that you'll be one of the lucky ones!

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx