Pain in my right breast

[Calster]

Hi.  I'm 26 and am 30 weeks pregnant.  I have extreme soreness on the right side of my breast near my armpit.  It doesn't necessarily hurt unless I touch it, or if my arm brushes against it and laying on it slightly hurts.  So, I've of coarse avoided lying on that side or touching it.  When I touch it, it feels like a sore muscle would with a slight stabbing pain.  My breast does appear slightly puffy where the pain is, but no discoloration.  My OB has felt around the area and can't find anything suspicious.  She notices that the area is slightly swollen and has suggested that it's just inflamed glands or lymph nodes.  I'm just concerned because the pain hasn't subsided and has been there for a couple of weeks.  I've also stopped wearing an underwire bra and am taking Vitamin E.  I've tried a cold compress, which I believe aggravated it and I've been using a heating pad on it the last couple of days... it doesn't seem to help.  Acetaminophen is the only pain medication I can take because I'm pregnant and that doesn't really help either.  I scheduled an appt. at a Breast Center for Health for an ultrasound, but they can't get me in for another month.  I think I'm taking all the right steps, but like I said, I'm concerned because the pain isn't going away.  Could it be that a milk duct is clogged?  I breast fed my daughter for a year and know what engorgement feels like- so I know it's not that.  I don't believe that I have Mastitis because I don't have the fever/flu symptoms.   It concerns me too that it’s only in one breast and is in a localized area.  I hope that it's not cancer. My OB informed me that it's harder to detect any abnormal lump or cyst right now because I'm pregnant.  My grandmother had breast cancer in her later years, but that's the only family history.  Could it be swollen lymph nodes?  If so, what causes lymph nodes to become inflamed?   Thank you very much :)

[Cleveland Clinic]

Dear Calster:  Without evaluation, it is impossible to speculate on what this might be.  Certainly, in a pregnant breast, there is much happening and pain, swelling, discomfort could all be related to hormone changes.  Most breast cancer is not painful.  However, if you remain concerned, or if you feel a discrete lump, you should be checked out.  Your OB could possibly order an ultrasound if she believes it appropriate and you are worried about the wait.

[Calster]

Hello.  There isn't a lump that I can feel and my OB can't feel anything suspicious either.  My OB did order an ultrasound through the Breast Cancer Center and they can't get me in for another month.  There's another specialty clinic that can do an ultrasound, but their wait is even longer- so I'll just have to be patient.   I can only hope that it's just pregnancy related... or a fibrosystic condition... I'm holding onto the fact that MOST breast cancer isn't painful.  And you're right, w/o evaluation, it's impossible to know what it is for sure.  I just HATE the unknown!  It's scary.  Thanks for your help!