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[bloomsbury]

Hello everyone,

I had a mammogram/ultrasound in October for a breast lump, it was a cyst and apparently didn't require treatment. I have had them before and had them drained. A couple of weeks ago the same breast became tender, and the cyst appeared again and kept growing. We are away at the moment selling a house we own abroad, I had an ultrasound here yesterday which showed a complex cyst but also another dense 3cm lump in the same breast that the radiographer said needs investigating. He said it could be a fibroadenoma but would need biopsy or excision to confirm. I am now rather worried. The house sale won't be concluded until end of Feb and I'm not sure I want any investigations carried out here. I am going to call my GP to see if she has the results of the last mammogram to see if there was another lump visible apart from the cyst, but if there had been surely it would have been mentioned?

Any help/advice gratefully received.

I'm 56, post meno, on estradot 100, utrogestan 100 daily, tostran every other day

[Turkish delight]

Hia bloomsbury,

Sorry to hear that you have this sprung on you, it's stressful enough without being away from home, plus selling a house, I feel for you.
Despite all that you seem pretty clued up and like you have all your ducks in a row. Contacting your GP is the next step as you say.

I wouldn't presume that they would have mentioned a second lump if they thought it was also benign, but it should be on the diagram if they did have any record of it. Docs are only human and can slip up and failed to mention it, some sometimes they dumb down and think we're thicko's lol!

Try not to stress(easier said)until you know more.

Keep us posted.

TD

[CLKD]

My lump was never seen on Mammogram.  I felt it.  Deep needle biopsy showed nil of note, it was removed 8 months later, still non-sinister but at histology showed signs of changes at the margins.  Still here!

Let your GP know so that the appropriate appt can be ready for your return. 

[bloomsbury]

Hi TD,

Thanks for the response.

I've called the surgery in UK and my doc will call me this afternoon, so hopefully we can compare new ultrasound with the October results.

Panic seems amplified by being away from home!

[bloomsbury]

Hi CLKD,

Thanks for the response.

Glad you are still here! Why did the doctor decided to remove your lump even after biopsy came back clear? I will certainly ask for excision and histology if it looks even vaguely sinister. I have read that fibroadenoma require investigation in older ladies, it would appear that, sadly, I now fall into that category 

[CLKD]

My Surgeon told me 'no healthy breast has a lump in it'.  When I said if he felt it was non-sinister and when the biopsy was clean, he told me that 'unless the lump goes to histology, I cannot be certain if it is OK'.  So I went under the knife: twice  followed by radiation treatment for 4 weeks. 

Mum developed lumps after eating shellfish, she was about 45.  Every time the lump was removed - in those days the patient was kept under and the lump examined in a room next to the operating theatre.  So should mastectomy be required, it saves two lots of GA.  Eventually she had mastectomy at age 65.  Un-related to the type of cancer mine developed.

If it's out and clean the mind settles ;-)

[Hurdity]

Hi bloomsbury

 

Sorry to hear about your breast lumps and worry while you are abroad. I suppose it depends where in the world you are and how long you think you will be away, as to whether you have investigations? Some EU countries have better and more thorough medical investigations/treatment than UK so I hear.

I've had a fibroadenoma - but when younger ie child-bearing age, which was scanned but no treatment offered. I'm never sure whether it's still there or not as my breasts are quite lumpy but mammograms are always clear. HRT tends to make breasts more dense and progesterone more so I think.

Depending  what your doc says if the recommendation is that it should be investigated - I would do just that - unless you have little confidence in what is on offer where you are. If you don't then I would come home. Just not worth the risk of waiting I would say.

Do try not to panic but I do understand it is horrible when these things happen at an inconvenient time?

Let us know the outcome and how you get on.

Hurdity x

[bloomsbury]

CLKD-Interesting re your mother and shellfish, and the fact all the lumps were removed and analysed. Not sure if they still remove all breast lumps now? I assume ultrasound and digital imaging give a more detailed diagnosis but I imagine only histology can give a definitive answer?

Hurdity-Thank you for the response. Yes I think the anxiety is exacerbated being away from home. Talking to my GP tomorrow on the phone, and seeing the doctor here with the results of the ultrasound, so should have a better idea how to proceed.

Bx

[CLKD]

Certainly ultra-sound is a good diagnostic tool.  Not available to Mum in the 1980s.  She's now 93 ;-)

[bloomsbury]

Spoke to my GP today who said there wasn't anything suspicious on the last mammogram and ultrasound done in October, a few little cysts and calcifications (?). Also saw the doctor here with the results of the ultrasound, she drained the cyst and thought that looked ok, sending the contents to be checked anyway. As for the other lump, the doctor here thinks it could be a cyst or fibroadenoma, she's not sure if it contains viscous liquid or is solid, suggesting another mammogram and ultrasound in 5 months. I will make an appointment with my GP to get that organised as soon as I return home as I don't want to wait that long, I would like a biopsy. Also, I had misheard the radiologist, the new lump is 10mm x 6mm, not 3cm, and on the BI-RADS scale it is a category 3. The cyst was 3.3cm and category 2. I had ultrasound on both breasts here, whereas in the UK they only did the one with the large cyst, I have cysts in both, yuk!!

Feeling slightly better now but not complacent. Wondering if the HRT is fueling all these lumps? Both doctors said they can't say if it is and that if I feel well on HRT to just continue, no mention of stopping.


Hi Countrygirl,
Ultrasound seems to be good at picking up what the mammogram misses, and vice versa. Glad they are keeping an eye on you with yearly scans, what would would do without our wonderful NHS.

[CLKD]

Ultra-sound is a different technology in that it measures layers rather than density. 

Always best to get lumps checked out.