cancer scare
 

Okay, I've posted this one other place but could use all the help I can get.
I didn't know where to go. I've heard you guys are very supportive, and some may be able to help me. I'm 25 years old and had a baby 8 months ago. 7 months ago I found a jelly bean sized lump on my right breast aBout 4 inches from my nipple. My ob said its nothing. It has not grown but.I'm having an ultrasound tomorrow. I'm incredibly nervous. If It's not cancerous, what else could it be? I'm worried they are going to want to have it biopsied. Does anyone have any advice, or ideas as to what else it could be? It's very movable and it seems soft but I can't pop it.

Also, my thyroid is very large. I have hypothyroidism but my endocrinologist felt it and said he wants to have an ultrasound for it as well. I'm scared that's cancer as well. Ah, I'm freaking out.

What else could it be? Well, you may have fibrocystic breasts. It is a good thing you are getting the ultrasound tomorrow and I pray that it will ease your mind. I've had fibrocystic breasts all my life and now I am nearing 50. My experience has been that my breasts are tender once in while as they are quite lumpy to the touch--I have several lumps in both breasts. At my age, I have a mamogram yearly. Best wishes tomorrow!

Odds are that it's a cyst. I had one removed surgically from my breast when I was in my early 20's. It's scary but it has not resulted in any cancer and I'm in my late 30s now so knock on wood I'll continue to be fine. It's normal to be anxious about these tests but it's better to get them done and be fine and then move on with your life. You are very brave, do you have any idea how many people just avoid the doctor for decades because they're too scared? And they get plagued with ailments that could have been easily preventable had they addressed it early on.

Stay calm, the test is soon and then it'll be over.

Good for you for finding it! A jelly-bean sized lump that's moveable might be, if not what sea urchin described, a sebaceous cyst--skin oil forming a little sac. Or something to do with lactation? a lipoma (benign fat "tumor), scar tissue, and so on. It sounds like your OB has a strong opinion that it's not cancer. Still, the ultrasound will be more definitive--nerve-wracking for sure.

Before the days of iodized salt, and in some countries where dietary iodine is too low, the thyroid responds to the shortage by growing in size. There are benign nodules and things like that that are commonly found in the thyroid.

More often than not, it isn't cancer. Sending good thoughts your way :)

Oh my gosh, thank you guys! When I started pumping my lactation lady sais to push as hard as I can handle, well I got 3 bruises from my fingers, ever since then I felt a.lump. I'm just praying that tomorrow we can rule it out. I'm going to be a mess if it needs to be biopsied. The thyroid I'm not as worried about, because I've seen several people go through having thyroid cancer.

Wow, that's good detective work! Another thing is that your hormones are all majorly affected by having had a baby and also breast-feeding. That can affect both your thyroid and breast tissue without it being cancer.

The word biopsy seems especially scary to you--if that's true, what does biopsy mean to you? If you think biopsy means it's probably cancer, that's not necessarily true--sometimes the imaging isn't clear enough or conclusive-it still can totally be nothing. It means more waiting for the result, though.

fwiw, I've had scares with breast irregularities due to breast reduction surgery with internal scar tissue. After I gained a bunch of weight, the scar tissue shifted and suddenly I had what I thought was a big lump. I had to have it biopsied. (It turned out to be scar tissue).

One more fyi....if you see or hear the word tumor tomorrow, know that to medical folk like doctors, it means exactly the same thing as "lump" or "mass." It doesn't mean cancer.

I have had a fibroadenoma removed....I was terrified, I was in my 20s and went in for a biopsy after an ultrasound also but it was not a tumor, thank God! Keep us posted, there are alot of things it can be that are not bad. Try not to worry too much. Hugs!

It's a cyst. Cancer tumors don't feel soft or mobile. Easier said than done but don't worry, I'm sure it's nothing.

Aww, I'm sorry you're going through this. I found a lump a few weeks ago, got into the doctor the next day but it took three weeks to get the mammogram and ultrasound done. It turned out to be nothing but I was FREAKED, so I totally get where you are right now. I think it sounds like you're fine but I'll be thinking of you! Good luck getting through it!

You guys are so amazing. The reason I'm so worried about a biopsy is because it means more waiting. I want to get today over with, and move on. The Dr checked this lump in December and said it was nothing but to keep an eye in ur for growing. It hasn't grown but when I told my endocrinologist about it he suggested to get an ultrasound..... WOW, just talking and typing this out I feel SO much better. Seriousoy thank you all so much.

It's been years but when I had mine I think they called the next day with results. I don't think you'll wait long after a biopsy....My background is laboratory medicine and I can tell you biopsies and bone marrow slides are considered highest priority in pathology depts.

Keep us posted!

Thank you for all of your support! The doctor said that the breast looks like possibly a cyst, or clogged milk duct. And they want me to come back in 6 months just to check on it. Hopefully I will hear soon about the thyroid. I'm SO relieved. I sat in there crying. Lol she must have thought I was a nut.

Yay! Happy for you!

I think a lot of people probably do that. I did, too. You're not a nut! I'm happy for you, too!!!