painful underarm lumps

In January I stopped taking any birth control. (after being on birth control ortho novum) for approx 10 years.  In March I started getting lumps under both of my arms that were very sore & painful but they came & went periodically.  In August, I developed a terrible large lump with extreme pain & fever in my left breast & was put on antibiotics they said it was "Mastitis".  The lumps under my atms cam back in September and I recorded everyday on the calender of what was happening.  Now they are here again.  I believe they are somehow associated with my monthly cycle as they seem to start 14-16 days before my period starts each month.  I have a Dr.s appointment on 12/11/2003.  These lumps are amazingly painful and there are usually two to three lumps under each arm and my breasts are extremely tender. The symtoms (symptoms) all dissapear after I start my cycle.  Do I need to be concerned enough to see a Dr sooner than my scheduled visit or could this just be "pms" symptoms or mabee early menopaus? - I am 37 yrs old and have never been pregnant.  Thank you very much.

[CCF-RN,MSN-rf]

Dear AUNTM001:  Because these "lumps" come and go, it is unlikely that they are related to cancer.  Also, because they are painful, and seem to occur with your cycle, they may be cystic in nature.  If you are really concerned, the lumps grow and do not go away, or if the pain is unbearable, you may wish to see a doctor sooner.

[surgeon]

what you describe could be several things, although cancer is not likely to be one of them, because of the coming and going. It could be ectopic breast tissue (breast tissue that's away from the breast itself). Under the arm is a common location; and it can get larger and painful with hormone cycles. Some infections, such as in sweat glands or hair follicles can behave that way, too. It sounds like something that needs to be seen and evaluated; but it's not likely to be anything very dangerous.

[booklover432]

A related discussion, Painful lump in armpit was started.