Breast pain

[dettie68]

I have had pain in my left breast for about a week now it has slowly gotten more painful i know the pain is not because of pregnancy because i have had a hysterectomy, there is no discharge or redness just the pain which has started to radiate towards my left armpit. am i right to worry could this be Breast Cancer?

[CCF-RN,MSN-JS]

Dear dettie68, Breast pain is a common breast symptom.  The reason for breast pain is not clearly understood, and is not usually associated with breast cancer.  Breast pain is sometimes associated with hormonal variations and is then called cyclical breast pain.  Noncyclical breast pain does not seem to be linked to hormonal variations and is often localized to one area of the breast tissue.  Noncyclical breast pain may or may not be the result of an injury to the breast.
Discuss your symptoms with your physician.  Breast pain is evaluated based on the history of the pain you would give to the health care professional, as well as a physical examination.  The need for further testing would be determined based on the above findings.  

[surgeon]

Whereas pain is usually due to something other than cancer, such as cysts, infection, injury, etc, any persisting change in the breast ought to be evaluated. Since it's only been a week, it might be too soon to get very worried. But if it doesn't simmer down soon, or if it continues to get worse, you ought to check with your doc.

[lizziecee]

I had shooting pains in my right breast and left armpit, on down to my elbow. Just thought it was ageing (aging) and arthritis (I was 58 when diagnosed). At my 3 yrly mammo (which is all we get in the UK on socialised medicine) I was found to have a non palpable invasive ductal tumour, 2 cm, with spread to my lymph nodes (4/18 dissected) and associated intermediate grade DCIS. So don't dismiss pains in your breast, armpit or arm. Please go and see a doctor, pref a breast surgeon and have it checked out.
Perhaps if I had gone earlier, my cancer may not have spread.

[Roadiesgal]

I am 41 and have constant pain/ache in my left breast.  I had a mammogram just 2 months ago that was negative.  I saw my ob/gyn last week who assured me it is only fibrocystic changes but I cannot help but worry.  The pain is deep within my breast and shoots to my armpit, sometimes down my arm to my elbow.  The pain can be felt just below my collarbone, and sometimes through to my shoulder blade.  I feel like my breast looks different (a little bigger than it used to be - noticed in my bra), and it feels heavy.   I also have a new "spot" of raised skin that is tan in color on the outer area of the same breast about the size of a dime.  My ob/gyn says its an age spot. Also, I was exposed in-utero to diethylstilbestrol (DES).  I had a hysterectomy at 27 due to a pre-cancerous cervix condition.  I don't know if I should take my ob/gyn's word for it or seek help from a specialist.

[jack60]

A lot of Breast pains are a result of Pinched nerves in the spine and all that is needed is to reset those pinched nerves.   I have help relieved a lot of women.