Hi Jazzyb,

A very warm welcome to our forum. It sounds as if you've been doing too much reading and have scared yourself more than necessary. We always advise people to steer clear of the internet until they know what they're dealing with. First of all, let me say that I am not a doctor, but I have had 2 bouts of breast cancer in the past 12 years and have picked up a lot of facts on this site in that time..

Lets's look at the situation in the cold light of day. You have a small lump.  The radiologist, who sees lots of sinister lesions day in day out, didn't seem too concerned - that has to be a good thing. There are many different reasons for breast lumps and not all are sinister. Many of these are benign cysts or fibroadenoma. In your case your radiologist has attributed this to a swollen lymph node.

There are many different reasons for lymph nodes swelling. Any minor infection can cause this. The nodes will usually settle with time, although this can take many months in some and, occasionaly they never go down.

It is perfectly normal to be terrified whilst waiting to be seen and we all tend to find our emotions all over the place, causing disturbed sleep, eating patterns and lots of tears. It is also common to convince ourselves that we are facing the worst possible outcome and to sense all sorts of additional symptoms, which usually disappear after a diagnosis is reached.

There have been reports of swelling in the lymph nodes folowing the Covid vaccine.

Write down a list of questions before you talk to your GP on Thursday to ensure that you don't forget anything important. You don't say what age you are, but younger people can have difficulty in getting taken seriously with symptoms. This is because they are less likely to have cancer. However this is still possible and, sometimes they have to push harder to get taken seriously.

Your GP should have a report from radiology by now and will be able to point you in the direction of any further tests if she deems them necessary. I do hope that, like your radiologist, she doesn't see the need for this. If this is so, just keep a regular check on your breasts and don't be afraid to consult your GP again if you notice further changes.

I sincerely hope that all goes well for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine

Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply. 
 

I am 31 so I'm still young in terms of a cancer diagnosis. However I know it happens so that doesn't really help the anxiety. 
 

I was very relieved that the radiologist was so happy with the findings but I have since questioned why they didn't just biopsy anyway to be on the safe side. I've never had swollen lymph nodes before that I'm aware of. 
 

I will discuss my concerns on Thursday and push for a blood test. 
 

I am itching all over today which I know is a sign of lymphoma but also many conditions too. I'm hoping this will pass. 
 

Health anxiety is awful in these situations. I've had some very traumatic experiences before within the NHS, several where things were left too late or my concerns weren't listened to, so I'm not afraid to be a nuisance these days!

Hi Jazzyb,

They don't usually carry out a biopsy unless they find a suspicious mass with your ultrasound. I am sorry to hear about your previous traumatic experiences within the NHS, so I can understand your concerned.

I am glad to hear that you can state your case if need be and hope that your GP can put your mind to rest on Thursday. Don't forget to mention your itching too, as she can prescribe something to help with this.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx