THREE YEARS AGO I HAD A MAMOGRAM DONE. IT SHOWS A FINDING IN MY RIGHT BREAST THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT FURTHER. THEY SAID, THIS IS NOT UNCOMMON. AND THAT IN MOST CASES,A STUDY OF SUCH FINDINGS SHOW THAT THERE IS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. I WAS TOLD THAT A ULTRASOUND EXAMINATION IS RECOMMENDED. I WENT FOR THE ULTRASOUND AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE LUMP IS SO TINY THAT I HAVE TO GO EVERY SIX MONTHS FOR A ULTRASOUND. NOW I HAVE NOTICED A BURNING SENSATION IN THE RIGHT BREAST GOING FROM THE ARMPIT TO ABOVE NIPPLE AREA. IS THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I HAVE TO WORRIED ABOUT. NOW I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE TO SCHEDULE FOR A MAMOGRAM OR A ULTRASOUND. AND HOW OFTEN I HAVE TO DO IT.
Dear phips: If the lumps are not changing, I am assuming that the mammogram and the ultrasound ruled out suspicion. A yearly mammogram is recommended to be certain that there are no changes. It is unlikely that the burning sensation is anything to be concerned about as long as the breast is not red or hot (incicating infection or inflammation). It is not unusual for breasts to have discharge when squeezed. Discharge may be yellow, green, brown, white, or even bluish. The time to be concerned about nipple discharge is when it is unilateral (one side only), clear and sticky or bloody, and comes out spontaneously (without being squeezed).
In general, discharge is of concern when 1) it comes out on its own without squeezing, and 2) it's bloody or watery. Yellow discharge that appears only on squeezing is common and not usually of concern. As to the lumps: it sounds like you need more explanation and/or assurance from your doctors. If the ultrasound clearly showed them to be cysts (I assume they'd have said so) then they are of no concern: cysts are fluid collections and are not dangerous. If they weren't cysts, and were newly appearing, then many would recommend more followup than yearly, at least for a while. I've always believed that for lumps you can feel, it makes more sense to take a sample with a small needle (quick, office procedure, nearly painless) than to get an ultrasound. Ultrasound can tell if it's fluid or not, but nothing more. A needle sample will find fluid if it's there, and if so make the lump go away, and if it's not fluid will take a sample to be tested. When a lump feels like it's not cancer, and the mammogram looks like it's not cancer, and a needle sample shows no cancer, the chance of missing cancer gets quite close to zero.