Lump under my arm

[prose]

I have been going through a lot of stress lately at work and my body has been reacting to it.  Probably not related to stress but a wart suddenly appeared on my arm. Also I believe these are related to stress, I developed a rash(hives) on my neck and the bottom part of my ear all of a sudden began to swell. I did go to the doctor and she gave me some cream to rub on my ear and some different cream for my neck and she frooze that wart on my arm. I did have a fever the day I went to the doctors but I felt fine. That night when I went home I began thinking that my arm pit hurt that morning when I put deodorant on. So, I felt under my arm and there was a lump about the size of a pea. It was alittle sore. Now four days later the lump is almost gone. Is this something that I should be concerned about. Is this a trait of a cancerous tumor or lump?

[Brooke2851]

im 12 and my breast has a lump in it and is red and hurts. but i havent started yet im scared is it cancer?

[MeganPatrice429]

A related discussion, Lump under arm was started.

[Anorky77]

A related discussion, Lump under arm was started.

[seven7]

Dear Surgeon,  I certainly apprecaite your answers in the past.  I think this site is seeking sponsors to pay for it.  That is probably why they have not contacted you.  Guess they have no money set aside for a salary for you to write.  Sure wish it would be an active site again.  I do not know of another breast cancer site that is as good as this one was.   Seven--

[surgeon]

I'd stopped looking here recently because it seemed even the questions had been removed. I was contacted a couple of months ago by medhelp and asked if I'd be interested in doing this forum. I was a little slow in getting back, because I've been working more and have been answering on another breast forum on WebMD. But I did send them my phone number so we could discuss it, and never got called. I do check here regularly, and continue to answer in the gastroenterology forum when there's a question that I can help with. I was open to making this an "official" relationship, but nothing has come of it from medhelp. Since I'm just a cyperspace typist as far as they're concerned, I can understand why they may have backed off.

[surgeon]

Your mother's lump could be many things: an abscess in a lymph node, a cyst, or some form of tumor, such as lymphoma, or related to the breast. It's really impossible to say anything that provides anything specific except to say that it needs to be diagnosed. Finding another surgeon who can deal with her sooner makes good sense. As to your own reasons to worry: until this lump is diagnosed, there's no way to say whether it's something that has a family risk. And it's not clear what kind of cancer your grandmother had. The ones that have familial risk are generally breast, colon, ovary; but the risk is more significant if it were your mother, not your grandmother. You'll know more after your mom's situation is figured out.

[novascotiagirl]

hi, this is my first time to this site. About a week ago my mother discoverd a huge lump under her arm. Its not in her breast, however she says now her breast is sore through to her back. The lump is about the size of a golf ball and about as hard. Our doctor said he doesn't think its cancerous, but it has to come out. Fine. The surgon she was sent to has 60 people ahead of her and is retiring in this June. She had to request another specialist. There is no history of breast cancer in her family, however her mother died of cancer. It was behind her lung and ate through up into her breast and up into her shoulder joint, dislocating it. Her doctor told her and us that she just had arthritis! She died in 1998 after suffering for months. there is alot of cancer in her family, throat,and brain cancer on my grandfathers side, and my grandmother was cancer free for 25 years before it took her. when she was in her early 50's they took all her female organs, 18 inches of her bowl, piece of her kidney and all of her bladder in one operation, they gave her 3 mths to live. she survived 25 years.
so needless to say we are worried about mom, she does have a history of fibroids, which she passed on to me so kindly.
she had a hystroectomy when i was only 10 mth old due to fibroids, i had my uterus removed when i was only 22. I then had my overies and tubes removed 6 weeks before my wedding when i was 28. i would really like to comfort her and find out something for her, and do i have anything to worry about for myself?
thanks

[surgeon]

If there's a lump in your breast, it needs attention whether or not you have implants. Whether it needs a biopsy depends on the characteristics of the lump and the opinion of an expert, as well as your own level of concern.

As to the MRI: implants get a "capsule" around them, which is a tough fibrous layer the body makes in reaction to the implant. If the implant ruptures, the contents may stay within that capsule (intracapsular), or leak outside it (extracapsular). It's generally true that silicon per se is not dangerous -- although as you know billions of dollars have been paid out by the makers of silicon implants, based, mostly, on phoney science. The part of the report about the pectoral muscle and lymph nodes is not specific: likely the nodes are enlarged due to the silicon. Again, what to do depends on putting together all the info; if you are uncomfortable with what you've been told, you should consider a second opinion, possibly at a university center.

[gatorlover]

My problem is pain affects the left side : breast, underarm, neck, arm, and rib cage with severe pain in the upper pectoral muscle.

I also found a lump in the one o'clock postion on the left breast three months ago, which I discovered while trying to determine why the pectoral muscle hurts so much.

The MRI confirms intra and extra capsular rupture of left silcone implant with intracapsular rupture of the right implant.  The MRI also reports:  "atypical hyperintense signal within the left pectoralis muscle at this level with multiple prominent lymph nodes extending into the axila, the largest of which is closest to the prothesis measuring 1.4 cm in diameter."  Also, "there is diffuse bilateral parenchymal enhancement in the breasts."

My questions:
1.  What does this mean?
2.  Should I have biopsy of the lump?
3.  Surgeons are telling me silicone is safe and there is no reason to have an explant and that MRIs lie.
4.  If silicone rupture is not causing pain, what is?  And what can I do about it?

Any answers you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

[Babycakes1]

Please be patient we are confident that this forum will reopen soon.

Regards,
Phil
Med Help

[esri12]

Hi Surgeon, do you have any updates about this Forum??
Please, help us by responding to our comments.
Thanks in advance on behalf of all of us:)

[healthwise]

Hello all,

My wife has had swollen, painful lymphnodes under her arms for several months (since oct 04).  It started under one arm and then only recently under the other.  Her mamogram was fine.  She's had 3 ultrasounds of the armpit and the 2nd time the doctor thought it got smaller, the 3rd time back to the same?!?!She has had her blood checked (yes, everything possible) and nothing shows up.  She has no other symptoms whatsoever.  She will now get a biopsy.  

Is it always necessary to remove a lymphnode or is it possible with a less invasive procedure?  Did anyone else have such symptoms which did not turn out to be cancerous?  Anything anybody can otherwise recommend?

Thank you.

[pitcrew]

just a quick update.... the PET scan came back showing no cancer anywhere EXCEPT the one lymph node under my arm, my surgeon said he has never seen that happen. Scheduled tomorrow for a masectomy and lymph node removal. Wish me luck! hopefully this will be all they find and it'll be a ER/PR positive tumor this time!. Also..... to everyone out there... IF SOMETHING SHOWS UP UNDER YOUR ARM OR IN YOUR BREAST THAT CONCERNS YOU, ITS YOUR RIGHT TO BE SURE WHAT IT IS, IF THE DOCTORS TELL YOU ITS NOTHING NOT TO WORRY ABOUT, AND YOUR STILL CONCERNED, DON'T STOP TILL YOU HAVE AN ANSWER...

[surgeon]

It's far more common to have an enlarged lymph node that's NOT due to cancer than one that is, even in the armpit. The question in my mind is whether the blood can be confidently ascribed to a scratch, or whether it came from the nipple. Often just an exam with squeezing will show blood if it's there. If there's confidence that there's no blood from the nipple (and sometimes it requires a re-exam in a couple of weeks during which time the nipple is NOT squeezed at all to check), then it's a matter of following up on the possible changes the surgeon thinks she sees on the mammogram. If there is blood coming from the nipple, then the thing that will give the answer, despite all the tests that have been ordered, is a biopsy of the duct from which the blood is coming. And know that when there is blood from the nipple, 90% of the time it's due to some non-cancerous process.

[stellak33]

Hello everyone,
My mother told me last week that she had a small amount off blood on her bra( nipple area) from her right breast.  I immediately suggested she go to her gyn. I aslo scheduled her an appointment with a breast surgeon. Her gyno said its simply a scratch and told her to not worry about it.  I suggested we keep the appointment with the specialist.  The breast surgean found that she had an enlarge lymph node under the right armpit as well as a difference in her right breast from the left. My mother had her annual mammo in Dec 04 and it came back negative.  The breast surgeon looked at the films and didn't think it was negative she thinks she see's something. I should also note that my mother had a benign tumor removed 15 years ago from the right breast. The mammo report states that the shadowing on the right side is a result of scar tissue. Needless to say I am a nervous wreck.  We have an appointment in 3 weeks for sono, magnified mammo, & special MRI.  I am trying to keep my mother calm, but I am so overwhemed with all the info I have I read on the internet and on this forum.  How common is it to  have a enlarge lymph node and it be non cancerous. Should I assume that this is cancer and start preparing ourselves for the long battle ahead.  Please let me know what this can be.

[neekers]

I am 37 years old.  Last year I started experiencing soreness in my right arm pit which radiates down my left arm.  At an appointment with my family doctor, I expressed this concern to her.  She felt that it was only swolen lymphnodes and had an xray taken and bloodwork.  Nothing came out of this as nothing was found in the xray.  The pain continues and under my arm is ususally always swolen and sore.  There were no breast lump concerns at my appointment last year and I continue to do self exams and find nothing.  Do any of you have any opinions of what this could be?  It worries me and is painful.  Should I be consulting another doctor for a second opinion?

[dammie]

THANK GOD YOU WERE PERSISTENT.  HOPEFULLY SOMEONE WILL HAVE THE ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS OR THE "SURGEON" READS YOUR POST.  MY PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU. KEEP YOUR FAITH THAT YOU WILL ALSO GET THROUGH THIS AS WELL.  I TOO HAD A NEW CANCER 7 MONTHS AFTER LUMPECTOMY AND 8 DOSE DENSE OF AC&T.  I HAD A BILATERAL WITH IMPLANT RECONSTRUCTION.  I WONDER IF THESE "NEW" CANCERS ARE AS YOU SAID THERE ALL ALONG AND JUST MISSED.  I AM ON THE EAST COAST AND DID GO TO SLOAN IN NYC.  NOT FAMILIAR WITH WEST COAST AND THEIR CANCER CENTERS. HOW ABOUT MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER IF YOU ARE WILLING TO GO TO TEXAS?  DON'T GIVE UP.  IT IS WORTH THE FIGHT.  GOD BLESS AND HUGS.

[bix]

Zm - Please get your armpit lump checked out.  I did, and it turned out to be an enflamed lymphnode due to the 3 tumors I had in my right breast.  I was diagnosed with stage 3 invasive ductile carcinoma.  A mastectomy, chemo and radiation are all behind me now.  Don't ever dissmiss the signs your body gives you.  Even if you have no health insurance, it is better to go on a payment plan than to die.  Good luck!

[pitcrew]

Last Sept 04 I was diagnosed with 3.2 cm node positive BC. ER/PR neg HEU2 neg, which was MISSED by mammagram, I felt a lump and the US confirmed it. At the time I asked for scans to be sure it had not spread, they said there was no need since I had no symptoms, I knew this was wrong but I was scared and wanting to get the cancer out. I had a mastecomy and node removal followed by dose dense chemo, I couldn't handle the taxol and stopped after one treatment. anyway..I had reconstruction with tissue expander starting in March. And thought I was well on my well to recovery... silly me!. Oct mammagram on remaining breast was normal... but I thought I was feeling a lump in my arm pit. I talked to my doctor who thought it was just a swollen node. Finally I convinced him it wasn't going away, 2 days ago I had a fine needle biopsy,,, cancer. Same type as far as they can tell... they can not figure out where it came from but believe its a new primary. I am scheduled for a PET scan in 7 days. I have a couple of questions here.... is it possbile for this "new" cancer to just pop up that quickly or could it have been there the whole time I was going thru treatment? If it was there would the scans have caught it? Now I'm am faced with another mastecomy, which is fine but none of the doctors here do masectomy with immediate reconstruction.What is the best facility to have masetomy with immediate reconstruction done on the west coast (Oregon).. I do not have the money to travel to the east coast. And I do not want to use any of my muscles for reconstruction so I guess I'm stuck with implants... ONE more question why isn't there any other treatment then Chemo for ER/PR neg cancer???

thanks in advance for your quick response.

[Bet63]

Sounds like it could be in inflamed hair follicle. I had a friend who had the same thing and after testing(mammo's, and finally biopsy) it was found to be just that....it can be very painful.
Good luck.
Bet

[LaJuan]

I've had small lumps under my armpits for the past two years.  Manual breast exams show no lumps and mammograms have all been negative.  These small lumps are painful and uncomfortable.  My doctor has placed me on Keflex on 3 seperate occassions.  No change was noted.  He has recently placed me on a stronger antibiotic, which I've been on for two weeks.  But the condition hasn't gotten any better.  What other test should I request to help me determine what's going on.

[LaJuan]

I've had small lumps under my armpits for the past two years.  Manual breast exams show no lumps and mammograms have all been negative.  These small lumps are painful and uncomfortable.  My doctor has placed me on Keflex on 3 seperate occassions.  No change was noted.  He has recently placed me on a stronger antibiotic, which I've been on for two weeks.  But the condition hasn't gotten any better.  What other test should I request to help me determine what's going on.

[srs]

I just found a small pea size lump under my right arm pit last night and tonight when i checked again it was a bit bigger.
Is it just a swollen lymp noid?

[JOPO]

I too have had small lumps under my arms associated with breast pain. I am 37 years old with saline implants. I had a mammogram back in 2/04, which came back negative. I still have soreness in my breasts and armpits, but have no explanation as to why. My doctors feel no "mass" and are not concerned. But I feel as though I should be. Technically, I am not scheduled for another mammogram until I am 40.
Should I persue this?