Hi Dawn,

You have done the right thing by getting this investigated, if only for your own peace of mind. There is no way that you can be sure that all is ok until you have some tests done at the breast clinic. Let me just reassure you that not all lumps are cancerous and that only 1 person in every 8 referred to the breast clinic gets a cancer diagnosis. It is also unusual for breast cancer to be accompanied by pain. Most tend to be painless.

We all tend to think the worst when we are waiting to be seen, but fortunately this seldom  happens. The best thing you can do at the moment is to keep yourself busy with any work or pastimes to help pass the time until your appointment. We always advise people to steer clear of Google at this stage, as this usually only increases your anxiety and serves no purpose.

Sometimes the breast changes around the time of our menstrual cycle - could this be the case with you?

I do hope that your appointment comes through soon and that nothing untoward is found.

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

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Thank you so much for your reply it's really appreciated I no pain is not normally associated with cancer and that's what I keep telling my self the thing that's worrying me the most is the comment the doctor made about the thickening What could this be does this mean she thinks I may have cancer or can other things cause this? I'm really worried and my anxiety is through the roof. 

Hi Dawn,

I have had 2 bouts of breast cancer. In both cases it was a lump that first alerted me, so I'm afraid that I don't know much about thickened skin. It sounds as if you've only recently noticed this change, so if it is cancer, you should be catching it early. Even if the worse came to the worst and it is cancer, breast cancer is one of the more treatable forms of cancer nowadays. I was first diagnosed 12 years ago and was worried that I wouldn't see any of my family's special milestones. I have since seen my children leave school, go to university, graduate, get gainful employment, marry and have family of their own.

I totally agree that waiting to be seen and then waiting for results are some of the most stressful stages of our cancer journey and I sincerely hope that all turns out well for you too.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi all, 

For the past 5 months I've had what feels like an oval shaped smooth lump on the outskirt of areola on the bottom of breast not the top. It just seem to pop up over night. I've had breast cysts before confirmed by hospital so I just thought it was another one and stupidly ignored the situation. Anyways it's now been 5 months and it's still there, now I'm panicking about it and Dr Google is obviously making me worse. I'm petrified of going to the doctors now too. I'm panicking if it's worse case scenario I've left it all these months . Has anyone else been through similar and it was OK. 

Hi Worried-Sick,

A very warm welcome to our forum.

I am sorry to hear about your symptoms and the fact that you've ignored them for so long. Hopefully, if the lump still feels smooth, it is more likely to be another cyst. Instead of worrying yourself so much, please make an urgent appointment with your GP to get it checked out. As you know, this is the only way that you can put your mind to rest.

We always advise people to steer clear of consulting Dr Google, until they know what they are dealing with, as this will only serve to make you more anxious. Many peple have been through this situation, with different outcomes. The only way to find out is to see your GP, so please don't delay any further.

Please let us know how you get on. We are always here for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx