I have been to see my GP today after 2 weeks of continual pain in my breasts with some nipple discharge. She got me to lay down and informed me they are really lumpy and asked if this is normal for me, which it's not.  I'm adopted but do know my birth mothers mum died of breast cancer which added a few more alarm bells to my head. She told me she will be writing to the breast surgeon to get me an appointment so now I'm worrying. What is the average timescale between referral and appointment?  Am I panicking too early? 
Emily x

Hi Emily,

A very warm welcome to our forum.

I am sorry to hear that your GP has felt it necessary to refer you to the breast clinic. Try not to let this worry you, as only 1 person in every 8 referred will get a cancer diagnosis. You don't say what age you are, but many young women also have naturally lumpy breasts.

You will usually be seen at the clinic within 2 weeks from referral. Panic won't change your outcome, so try to stay calm.  You will find that keeping busy will help to pass the time as your're waiting.

You may have some tests taken when you are at the clinic and it usually takes 1-2 weeks to get the results of these back. It is not usually until this stage that you can be sure that all is clear.

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

Keeping my fingers crossed for good news.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Ljmile, 

Thank you for thinking of me. Yes I just had an ultrasound first and then had to wait before seeing the consultant. The radiographer doing the ultrasound told me it was cysts and took detailed measurements and was quite thorough. The consultant felt the area first before discussing the ultrasound results and was happy it was cysts. I think if they weren't cysts they would have done more investigations.

I'm sorry to hear about your anxiety and having to be signed off work. It's awful isn't it? I was very anxious and worse the closer the appointment got! I had some random pains too but I really think some of it was where I was so tense and where I kept poking around too! 

Thank you so much  Please keep us updated on your appointment and let us know how you get on. I really hope it's good news x

Hi Mrs RL,

This is fanatastic news. You must feel very relieved now. Thank you for updating us and I sincerely hope that you continue to remain cancer free.

Kind regards,

Jolamine

Thank you very much. Yes I'm very relieved.  Take care x

Hello All,

I'm new here an whilst I wish it was under better circumstances I felt I had to post as reading this forum (particularly this thread) has been the only thing keeping me going the past few days.

I am 30 years old and am ashamed to say that I first experienced breast concerns 5 months ago and only plucked up the courage to see my GP 3 days ago. My concerns started with sharp shooting breast pains daily. I Googled (I know I shouldn't have) and everywhere said that pain is unlikely to be cancer so I continued enduring it. I am still breastfeeding my 2 year old and had experienced a (devastating) miscarriage 2 months prior so figured it could have been hormones from either of these.

Unfortunately this was followed by an enlarged lump on my armpit, which was painful doing to day to day activities. I decided to see if it went away and after some time it did, furthering my hypothesis that it was nothing.

Through all of this I was Googling and decided to have a feel (for the first time properly). My only observation was that everything was very tender, bumpy and firm. Almost a mass. I tried to tell myself it was probably breastfeeding tissue but the other breast felt entirely different. I then thought I found a small lump quite deep inside but got frightened and never felt again.

Recently whilst at the park with my daughter I noticed that when running I felt a heaviness in my breast where the (what I now know is called thickening) is. I decided to finally seek GP advice but couldn't face feeling for myself again.

I saw the GP 3 days ago. Like others, I was convinced attending was a huge waste of everyone's time. Unfortunately the GP found the area of thickening immediately and it was tender, which concerned her. She was also concerned about the length of time I had had symptoms. She referred to it as thickening and suggested it could be glandular in the best case scenario but referred me to the breast clinic.

To be honest it didn't sink in and I was quite fine chatting to her as if she had told me I had a cut on my knee or something. Once I left and got home however it sunk in and I have been nothing short of heartbroken. I have read everything online about breast cancer in your 30s being more aggressive. Also studies on individuals who have had a baby in the last 5 years and the association with mestatis.

The day after I saw the GP I felt I needed to do something so called the local breast clinic and spoke to a nurse who told me that they hadn't yet received my referral and that they had 3 categories which would determine how quickly I was seen - 1) urgent with suspected cancer, 2) urgent, 3) non urgent. I am aware that my referral was sent saying urgent for being seen within 2 weeks although I don't know if it said suspected cancer. The nurse advised that in my area the average wait time is 6 weeks (not England).

I contacted a local private hospital who can see me on 15th Feb. I asked the NHS nurse about this and she advised me against this. She suggested that any time saved now wouldn't be worth it as transferring back to the NHS after diagnosis could take additional time. She suggested that the wait whilst not knowing would not be as bad as a later wait knowing you had cancer and having to wait to transfer to the NHS for treatment. I'm not sure what to do about this as 6 weeks just feels too long. I have told my family too and seeing them hurting because of me is so hard.

Since then, I initially began feeling for lumps intensely and caused myself some pain and marks on my skin. Whilst I have now stopped doing this in the hope that the pain (and consequent reminder) goes.. I have found a lump quite deep, which is about the size of a broad bean.

I am thinking of contacting the GP again in the morning to advise of the lump and to see if they can escalate my referral as a result (thinking of the 3 categories the nurse referred to). I was also going to ask their advice regarding going private for diagnosis and then transferring to the NHS for treatment.

Anyway, thank you so much for reading if you have got this far. This forum has been so helpful to me the last few days. I can only hope that my post will help others in the same way somehow.

Xx

Hi Threesacharm,

A very warm welcome to the forum. 

I am sorry to hear that you're so worried about being referred to the breast clinic. It really is impossible to tell whether this will end up with good news or bad. What a tragedy to have a miscarriage - I really feel for you having to go through all of this. There is still a strong chance that your problems are hormonal. It is also a fact that the younger you are, the less likely this is to be cancer. Not all lumps are cancerous. Many are benign cysts, hormonal or fibrous thickening. The only way to be certain what this is is to get some tests carried out at the clinic. It normally takes 1-2 weeks to get the results of these tests back, but they are likely to be done on the day of your first appointment.

You might find it worthwhile to phone your consultant's secretary once your appointment comes through and offer to take any cancellation that comes up. If you must keep feeling yourself (and most of us do), try feeling yourself in the shower when you are well-soaped up. This will be much gentler than feeling dry skin.

Try not to panic about an urgent appointment. Most of us get referred by this pathway, but only 1 person in every 8 gets a cancer diagnosis. I am inclined to agree with your NHS nurse about possibly having a longer delay to get transferred back to the NHS if you decide to go private and are unfortunate enough to need further care. 

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 so much for getting back to me. And so quickly as well.

I phoned the GP this morning. It was a different GP who was a little defensive of the decision to refer me initially but once he understood that I was pleased to have been referred he was very reassuring about the new lump I have found and talked a lot about fibrodema(?) Unfortunately no amount of reassuring works for me at the moment. I am sure you will understand having been here yourself. He confirmed that I have been referred on the fastest referral they can do but that there is a typical 6 week wait where I am. When I queried going private he was actually quite supportive of that idea, which surprised me.

I was really disappointed to find out that despite being seen on Thursday the referral was not sent until Friday.  Despite this, I have just received a call from the appointments team. They asked which (of 2) hospitals I would like to attend. I told them I was happy to go to whichever would see me first. The next appointment is 10th March, which I confirmed with them. I have to say thank you Jolamine for suggesting asking about cancellations. I asked the lady about this and she said that she would add me to the cancellations list for both hospitals, which is great. I never would have thought to ask that if it weren't for your suggestion.

The truth is, I am due to start a new job on 7th March so feel I need to know before then. I know this is silly as it is possible that if I have cancer I won't even be able to take on the job. I am also concerned about my Mum who isn't dealing with the news very well. She has pains in her chest from anxiety and feels sick all the time, which is terrible to see.

Thank you for listening, it means a lot xx

Hi Threesavcharm,

My, you seem to have lot to deal with at the moment. 

I can understand your desire to go private, when your mum is feeling as she is and you are about to start a new job. I suppose that this would  get your initial appointment out of the way before you start your new job. You are probably as well hanging on to both appointments for now. You might be lucky enough to get an NHS cancellation before 15th February. You could always keep your NHS appointments until you find out what the private hospital has to say. 

Are you aware that you may have to wait a further 1-2weeks to get results, if they have to do a biopsy on your first visit? Some clinics operate a one stop shop which does everything in the one day, but not all of them do. I hope that your GP is right and that this is a fibroadenoma, but no amount of reassurance will persuade you of this at the moment. For some strange reason at this stage, the imagination starts to play all sorts of tricks on us and it goes into overdrive, taking us to all sorts of dark places. 

It is the not knowing that is such torture. Irrespective of the outcome, you will feel better once you know what you are dealing with. It is impossible to say whether or not you will be able to take on your job, until you know what you are dealing with. Some people do manage to work through their cancer treatment, but this depends upon what type of breast cancer they have and upon the type and amount of treatment that they need.

Has your mum had any previous issues with her health or do you feel that this is anxiety that i causing her to have these pains?

I do hope that you manage to get an earlier apppointment through and, that nothing untoward is found. Please let us know how you get on. Keeping my fingers crossed for good news!

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine,

Thank you again for your swift support.

I am in utter shock but late afternoon I received a call offering me a cancellation for tomorrow!! I am actually on holiday 2 hours away from home and it is also my husband's birthday and we had a lot planned but I have taken the appointment with both hands. 

I have to say thank you again Jolamine. I never would have asked about cancellations if it weren't for you and never could have dreamed of getting an appointment so soon if I hadn't.

Thank you, thank you.

I called my Mum as I am on holiday to tell her but the news hasn't helped her anxiety much. I do hope for all our sakes that there can be good news tomorrow. I'll keep you informed xx

Hi Threesacharm,

Thank you for letting me know that you have been successful in getting a cancellation for tomorrow. I am delighted to hear this. It's a pity that this scuppers your plans for the day, but if I'd been in your shoes, I would have jumped at this too.

Hopefully, your mum will feel better once she knows the outcome. Here's hoping for good news!

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

 Treaclepud How did you get on? Going to the breast clinic for the same thing! Really hope you’re okay x 

 Treaclepud How did you get on? Going to the breast clinic for the same thing! Really hope you’re okay x 

Hi Katiee2, I was one of the lucky ones and it was all ok. Just normal lumpy breast tissue. The breast clinic say they get a lot of people like that as GPs aren’t always great at recognising the difference. But it’s better to be referred than have the GP decide and later find out they were wrong.

It’s a scary time waiting though, I think I was 10 days before I went and I was a mess until I got the results. I hope you’re lucky like I was, I’m sure you must be worried sick, sending you a hug for luck xx