Hi webbydevvy,

It's no wonder you're scared given the family history, I know family history does always mean cancer is at the forefront of your mind when you get sick.

Sorry you've got a sore breast and lump.  Your GP could well be right, it could be a fibroadenoma.  I had a lot of these in my teens and twenties, always a worry as my mum had breast cancer first at 40 so we always worried ours was genetic (turns out it is, although it took me getting cancer at 41 for them to test!)  One positive is that cancerous breast lumps usually present without pain I believe, whereas I do recall my fibroadenomas being painful.

Another positive is that most cancers aren't genetic, in reality even among people with strong family histories the % that are genetic is still quite small.  A lot of families are just 'unlucky' I guess or maybe there are elements to do with a shared environment?  Given your family's bowel cancer history I presume the family have been tested to see if there is a bowel cancer gene there?

So, while I totally understand how you are feeling having been there, try and arrange things to occupy your mind while you await your appointment.  After all, it's good now, you are in the system and will be getting checked out.  Even if your worst fears are realised (and I'm hopeful that's unlikely) then nothing you can do just now will change that, so worry is just stealing time from you.  Even if your worst fears are realised you'll also likely be very early on and so have simple treatment that will get rid of the cancer.

Will keep you in my thoughts, it is a horrible thing to be going though.  I hope the appointment comes very soon and that your mind is put at rest.  Let us know how you get on.

Best wishes,

LJxx

(N.B.  If you think it would be helpful in any way, it might be possible for you to access your mum's medical records to find out what her initial cancer was.  You could ask your GP how you go about this.)

Hello

I hope you are okay and get seen quickly.  I am in the similar boat, i turned around in bed and suddenly in pain in armpit and just in the breast. I examined and have a lump there and find it hard when my arm touches my breast. I have been in agony since yesterday, I rang my doctors and now have to wait till tomorrow 8am call them and see if they can fit in, i am so fed up as i dont call them unless really need too, and on times like this they make it more anxious and stressful for me

I am in a lot of pain and dont know what it is, i am so scared my sis in law had breast cancer and had almost half her breast removed, then chemo and she lost all her hair. I have had a heart op , and had pnemonia in April and still recovering from that, I dont know what this is but I hope its an infection but its very painful and contious and no pain killer will take the pain away.  any advice anyone ?  I just am thinking my lifes over, i have one son at university and think i am not going to make it in life, and feel so tired and just a mess x.

[@DBird]‍ thank you so much for the thorough response, I feel a lot more reassured about what will happen at the clinic now. I'm so sorry to hear about your trials, that sounds like such a nightmare. You're an inspiration.

[@TwinTwo]‍ thank you for your response, I've researched and found mixed opinions on the pain thing, so I guess it must be different for everyone (which makes sense as we are all different). The GP also echoed your thoughts too though, that pain is weirdly a good sign? I thought it was fading a bit yesterday, but today it is definitely back with avengeance! It feels similar to when I first got the piercing though, which is odd. Kind of itchy sharp pain, like the peircing is caught (but I have taken the bar out and the pain doesn't improve, and obviously the lump is most definitely there, so kind of irrelevantish at this point perhaps?)

[@sangha]‍ I am so sorry you are going through all of this too, try not to fret until you have 120% reason to, although I am raging hypocrite for saying that right now! If the pain is super bad, could you visit a walk-in clinic or call NHS 111 for them to put your mind at ease? I know how irritating it is to get a GP appointment, it's absolutely awful. I was lucky I had one already booked or I'd still be waiting! Do you have any friends and/or family you can talk to about this? Or call the nurses on here perhaps? Obviously we are all here for you too, but might help for you to receive comfort from someone in person. I'm keeping everything crossed for you.

Hi Sangha,

Sorry you are stressing out too and having difficult symptoms.  I will repeat what I said to webbydevvy in that pain is generally a good sign making it less likely to be breast cancer.  The reason webbydevvy probably got mixed opinions when looking into that is that people who have had the pain tend to make a point of mentioning it.  Still, a doctor will know from all the patients they've seen that have had breast pain that usually those turn out to be non-cancerous conditions.  So it's not a "never" but it does make it less likely to be cancerous thankfully.

Another thing is that the suddenness of onset of pain can make it less likely to be cancer.  Again, not always, we're all different, but your sudden onset will likely suggest a number of other things to your GP.

It sounds like you've had a really rough time of it with a heart op and pneumonia, so it's no wonder you are anxious, all we can do is reassure you that cancer is still not the likeliest cause of your symptoms, and I really hope they find it to be something non-serious.

I will add in that It's far too early to be thinking your life is over, that's a definite!  I do have breast cancer and my life isn't over.  I had my entire breast removed (including nipple), I've had chemo and lymph node removal, I'm going to have radiotherapy and maybe some experimental chemo, and yet my life is still far from over.  I've also lost all my hair, but it grows back :)  What I'm trying to say is, even if your worst medical fears are realised, breast cancer is usually not a life sentence.  My mum has had two different aggressive forms and she's still here in her 70s living a full life.  Sadly mine has been caught too late, but even then I'll likely be around for a good while yet living my life.

It's hard to see all this when you're in that fear stage, weirdly it can be easier to see all the positives once you've had the bad news.

I'll keep you in my thoughts, let us know how you get on.

Best wishes,

LJx

Got my breast clinic appointment confirmed for the 17th of this month. Somehow got to keep myself busy and calm until then. How are you doing [@sangha]‍ ?

Hi

How are you ?  I have my appt on 18 Dec a day after yours, its good we can follow each others post. I am in so much pain, I went to the gp, he thinks its a trauma injury, because i had a few bruises on my breast, but he was not sure, my appt came quick though, but i have been informed after our appts, we have a further two week wait, i thought omg.

Hi

Thank you for writing to me. I am glad your pulling through, my sister in law went through what you had too, I think i have had so many operations and am sick of them, I probably have a cyst but it is very painful and its in between my armpit and breast , hopefully all be ok, have to dea with it somehow, its jjust the two wweek wait on top x

DBird, thank you for replying, i finally got through, its terible the system, I did see a doctor same day,he felt it is a trauma injury as i have bruises, its in the breast and half in armpit and so painful its like a hard tennis ball and is not gone down or worse, but too painful to wear a bra and i been putting ice pack on it, but thenjust come out of pnemonia i feel too cold.

Doctor says lets send you for the tests in hospital, and then we wait two more weeks ill be stressed out over christmas and feel crap, i have just started university and am struggling as it is.  I hope we will all be okay thats all, thank your your kind words x

Hi DBird. 

Aww. Thank you for your message.  Studying business 

and Finance.  Awful class. X. Thanks. It’s a tennis ball 

stuck in breast and underarm not moving big hard and unconfy. 

V painful. On co drayadamol it’s not helping. Me whole 

arm and wrist hand hurts with it now. Hand is swollen too 

just recovering from operations still and just feel crap 

two week wait. I been told have to wait 2 weeks after to get seen and discuss. They won’t give any indication on the 18th that’s what they said. 

Hows things with you. Xx. I’m Babita by the way.