Hello Ballyblighter

Yes, judging by my own experience it can.

At the age of almost 81 I felt pain in the upper part of my left breast but thought it was simply my fibromyalgia and costochondritis (inflammation of the rib cage which I had experienced fifty years before). I wanted this diagnosis confirmed so I contacted my GP. He examined me and thought it could be angina so I was prescribed a betablocker and daily aspirin. As a precaution I was told to have a chest x-ray which confirmed the presence of a lesion at the top of the right lung. I was then given a ct scan which showed the lesion was benign but that there was an abnormality in the left breast. This scan was then sent to the breast team and as a result cancer was found in the left breast and the lymphnodes.

I do not know how long the cancer had been there because I have suffered all over body pain for at least 20 years but i suspect it was brewing for quite a long time, possibly for at least a year. I had lost half a stone in weight the year before the cancer confirmation but this was attributed to a change of diet by my GP. I had been urged to reduce my cholesterol by eating oily fish and cutting down on my consumption of dairy products (being a vegetarian). The presence of cancer was a complete surprise because I was under the impression that breast cancer is painless! It certainly is not in some cases.

I am now recovering well after a lumpectomy,axillary clearance, radiotherapy and a hormoneblocking tablet which I shall take for 7 years.

Best wishes to you and your other half. Please be assured that your mother-in-law will receive the best possible treatment.