breast lump.. now what?

[katie005]

I discovered a lump on my left breast close to my sternum. When found a few weeks ago it was quite small in size. Since it has grown to about the size of a quarter its hard and doesn't move. It is also tender and the skin above it is red. I'm 22 year old female. I have a family history of breast cancer. My grandmother passed away of it in her early 40s. And mother had a gynecological cancer in her 30s. I'm seeing a doctor this week but am very impatient.  Any advice? Any idea what this could be?

[mhv]

So glad to hear you were able to find out what is going on!  That in itself is peace of mind.  I hope you can get in quickly to see how to treat the infection.  Let us know

[katie005]

Okay thank you! I will definitely make the appointment.

[japdip]

NO, any type of infection needs treatment of some manner. Go to your regular Primary Care Physician, present your symptoms along with the report from your Ultrasound and request treatment .... I would imagine this would consist of an Antibiotic and / or whatever else your Dr. thinks is appropriate for your condition. DO NOT just WAIT !!!! I doubt that it will go away on it's own.  Make an appointment TODAY !   Regards ....

[katie005]

All they told me was that I have inflammation. Do I just wait for it to go away ?

[katie005]

Thanks everyone! The ultrasound is scheduled for this morning so ill have a good idea what's going on soon. I'll keep you posted.

[zouzi]

Good for you Katie for getting an appointment so soon!  
I hope that everything goes well for you! :)

[mhv]

That is wonderful news!!  I am so glad someone agreed to move forward with testing!  At least you will have answers!   Please let us knw how the u/s goes.  

[japdip]

That's great .... please add a comment when you get some results. I'm glad you could get things moving so rapidly.  Good Going !!!

[katie005]

I have an ultrasound scheduled for Thursday. This doctor thinks it may be a cyst as well but says they can't be certain. She told me it is oblong shaped and needs to be tested because of my family history.

[japdip]

I was thinking that OB/GYN might have been the case. This is a good starting place for a breast exam BUT even your Primary Care Physician would be my choice now or as Zouzi stated above a Breast Specialist. This really sounds infectious to me but over the internet it's only a guess. I agree with you .... 6 weeks is much too long to hold onto something of this nature. I'd even go to an Urgent Care Facility if necessary.  Take care ....

[zouzi]

Hi Katie,
I agree with Japdip that what you have is most probably a sign of some type of infection.
If you want to find the right Doctor to put your mind at ease,I would advise you to consult a Breast Specialist who will examine you and will surely give you the best advice possible.If there is any doubt,he/she will recommend an Ultrasound to make sure that all is fine.Also a Dermatologist would be helpful if you can't see the Breast Specialist soon..
In the mean time try not to press on the lump to see if it's growing because you could make things worse okay?
Take care now...

[katie005]

I saw an ob/gyn. He said he would take a look at it in 6 weeks to see if anything changes but I'm just not on board with that idea. It's been growing at a quick rate as it is. I don't particularly trust this doctor so I'm getting a second opinion. Additionally the skin is now flaky and still red above it.

[mhv]

I agree you are doing the right thing!  Push for more testing!  It can't hurt.   The unknown is so scary, and unnecessary.  Keep pushing until someone comes through!  Your concerns are not unfouded.
Please, keep in touch!

[japdip]

I'm curious as to what type of Physician you saw regarding this issue. Since you state that the area did enlarge and is hard with the skin being red above it I would advise you to concentrate on the idea that this might well be an infection of some sort. The symptoms you describe really don't say "Breast Cancer" to me. Just waiting and watching isn't going to help at all and may well complicate matters so I would see someone soon.  Regards ....

[katie005]

Thank you mhv I just had one doctor tell me it was an inclusion cyst but never did any testing or got an ultrasound done so I'm not sure how he can know that for sure by just looking at it. I'm going to push for at least an ultra sound so I can have some peace  of mind.

[mhv]

You do have your age in our corner, but better be safe then sorry.  The fact that you think it us getting larger is a great reason!  Don't let your doctor push your concers to the side.   Especially with family history.  My breast hurt with my breast cancer.  I actually told my husband a week before I was diagnosed, that my breast was hurting.  My tumor grew from nothing to 6cm in 6 months.
I am sure you are fine, but so glad you are being proacttive.  Please do not let them brush off your concerns.  Peace of mind is golden

[katie005]

I will keep you updated as much as possible. Thank you.

[katie005]

Thank you both. I appreciate your input.

[Addie29]

I can tell you first hand that breast cancer can hurt. My lump actually caused me a stinging pain. I'm not trying to scare you with this info but just to inform you that not all cancers are like. Get it checked out. You will feel so much better once you do. Good luck and positive thoughts

[zouzi]

Hi,
This could be a sebaceous cyst, an abscess or a boil, but without a doctor examination and having some type of testing, “if needed”, it's impossible for anyone to tell you exactly what this lump near your sternum may represent.
All I can say is that most breast lumps, in your age group, are harmless especially when pain is involved.
I wouldn’t worry about breast cancer, but I am glad you made an appointment to see your Doctor soon so that treatment can start .
Please let us know what your Doctor finds out and we are hoping that you have nothing to worry about.
All the best to you and good luck!