Cancer Research UK main site

Left breast pain

Lolo86
Offline

Hi, I am hoping for some insight as I'm extremely worried and so anxious. I have been having left breast pain for about 4 months now. It started as a burning sensation in the left side of my left breast. Never had this before so of course Googled it and kept reading pain usually isn't cancer and is probably hormonal. So didn't think much of it as I'm 39 and maybe perimenopausal. However, the pain has changed to a stabbing and sometimes is very deep, enough to take my breath away. The pain has also spread to my arm put and inner arm. I also have been reading lots of stories about how pain was lots of womens first symptom and I'm actually angry that we are not told this! Another strange thing that I occasionally suffer is a sharp pain like a really shooting type pain in the left of my back and the breast at the same time which is weird. I can't really feel any lumps that concern me although I don't really know what I'm looking for. I went to the GP and she didn't seem too concerned because she couldn't feel a lump which annoyed me as I have a slightly  puffy bit on my armpit and one breast has changed shape in my opinion. I have had a sore back and neck too. She put me on a routine list and I really think it should have been fast tracked due to my age (39) Anyway, I'm just wondering if anyone else has had the same issues and how did things turn out? Thanks for reading ️! 

  • Unfortunately if all the classic signs of cancer are not recognised referral is sometimes not considered urgent. This happened to both me and my husband. He had stomach cancer but because he had not lost weight it was thought he probably had an ulcer and had to wait four months before he could have an endoscopy. My breast cancer which involved a shooting pain in the left breast was initially treated as angina and was only discovered by chance after an x-.ray showed a lesion in the right lung!. When a ct scan was done the lesion was seen to be benign but an abnormality was noted in the left breast and I was referred to the breast team. The cancer was invasive and had spread to my lymph nodes but I had not detected a lump but merely felt there was a swelling across the breast bone. I was convinced I had costochondritis which is common when suffering from fibromyalgia

    I can appreciate that there is often confusion about various symptoms but please feel comforted that you are on the referral list and you will eventually get a diagnosis. I wish you all the best and hope you get an appointment soon.

    Anne

Speak to a nurse

Quick links

Follow us

Registered with Fundraising Regulator (logo)
Cancer Research UK is a registered charity in England and Wales (1089464), Scotland (SC041666), the Isle of Man (1103) and Jersey (247). A company limited by guarantee. Registered company in England and Wales (4325234) and the Isle of Man (5713F). Registered address: 2 Redman Place, London, E20 1JQ.