Topic: Brown discharge & ignored lump

Thank you, I've just been reading other people's posts too and I've spotted something that seems to be a symptom which I would never have thought of as a symptom. Some people have said they experience itchyness. I've been having itchy breasts only for a few days, no rash, but the itchyness is on both breasts & sometimes I get pain around my right side sort of where the bottom of my breast line is but not actually in my breast & I also get pains in my left armpit similar to a pinching sensation but I get that following a hot flush. The pain in my side I assumed was catarhh (I think I've spelt that right?) because I am a smoker . The itchyness I've assumed is from my bra but now I think I should mention it to the doctor???

I also have a 'pulling' sensation in the upper right part of the breast that's leaking this brown discharge. I ignore that because I assume it's something to do with my cycle & breast tenderness, but I've missed my period now & have had no symptoms of it coming on either. The pulling sensation is around the same place as I found the 'come & go' lump... Should I mention this or is that something quite normal? The lump is there again now, I found it again yesterday & today.

Mention everything to your doc.  It may or may not be relevant, but you are worrying about it.  The most common presentation of breast cancer is a painless lump, but different women have different symptoms.  Remember, most times its benign.

Anything can happen on your breast that can happen on any other part of your skin. 

Hormone changes can change how your breast feels. Normally, people don't have hormonal changes that originate with breast cancer when they are first diagnosed.  

 You are obviously paying a lot closer attention to your breasts because you are having issues.  That is natural and good. I'm sure you are going through some stress, and that can change your menstrual period.  

Cancer is something that does not shrink and swell every few days.  It is uncontrolled growth. Most breast cancer has been in the breast for some 6-10 years before it is big enough to be detected by any means.  So a delay of several weeks/months usually makes no difference.

But breast cancer does not read academic journals or this support group, and can sometimes act differently than it normally does.  So its good to get it checked out.

Hopefully, everything will be fine.  The only way to get these issues sorted out is to see your doctor.  If you were a randomly selected 30 year old in the general population, your risk of getting breast cancer in the next 10 years is something like 1: 251. 

Waiting is horrible.  Some women find distraction helps. We are here for you. Feel free to ask questions or vent. 

If you want a paper that shows the chances of nipple discharge being breast cancer, here's one.

This is from the Mayo Clinic. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18005783 

In Dr. Love's Breast book, she says it can be almost any color.  

Here's two more with different breast symptoms.

 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12000140

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12552991 

Of course you are scared. Anybody would be scared.

It is good that your are getting this checked out. 

I have never heard of neck issues being a symptom of breast cancer. The vast majority of women who are getting these symptoms checked out are worried/scared/etc. We would be worried about you if you weren't.

We're here for you. (Sorry about the different colors in my post. I have Safari as my browser and I haven't figured it out yet.)

I've just done a silly thing now - I'm not the greatest health conscious person as I smoke & I do enjoy a couple of glasses of wine with a good meal. I eat well as in, healthy, I never cook in fat unless it's extra virgin olive oil & I don't add salt to anything (not out of being health conscious, I just like food that way) & I don't/can't overeat. I don't exercise that regularly because I work from home & spend on average about 10 to 12 hours a day on my businesses which involve sitting in front of my computer.

In the last 14 months I've gone from 10 stone 7 pounds to 11 stone 6 pounds. I just keep putting on weight which I then put down to being 'content' as the cliche goes (I met & fell in love with my gorgeous partner 14 months ago). I last weighed myself before my holiday to Spain (31st May 08) and I was 11st 6lb. I've just been to the bathroom & was curious so weighed myself & I'm now 10st 12lb. I've seemingly lost 8lb in about a month but done nothing at all to make that weight go. I haven't lost any weight at all in the last 14 months, I've only ever put on. Now I am worried. Is this some kind of symptom because I really don't exercise. All I've really done exercise wise in the last month is take my car to be inspected & I left it there & walked home & collected it a few days later & that walk both ways mounted to probably less than a mile...

Editting because I do recall weighing myself when we got back off holiday on 7th June & my weight never changed - I'd expected it to go up because the food we had in Spain was very fatty)

Well all - I nearly chickened out of my appointment today because I suddenly had a rush of dread knowing I was going in alone, but I went. How is this for typical - anytime I've ever been to a doc for anything, I will guarantee that whatever symptom I have will disappear until I get back home! It happened today. This morning there was barely any fluid there but what was there I swabbed on to a cotton bud to show the doc just incase it completely vanished when I needed to show it. Now I'm back home the fluid is back!!! Didn't matter, I told the doc I was concerned that I have brown fluid & I can now feel another lump beneath the areola, she wasn't really interested in seeing the swab I took, she instantly referred me to a (OMG) Breast Cancer clinic. I should have an appointment through by this time next week.

Now I really am scared. She wasn't particularly interested in any other symptom except my now missed period. She asked if I had any history in the family of cancer & I confidently said no, but that didn't bother her too much either. I'm glad she's on the ball with it & I didn't have to put up a fight for a referral, but because of her speed in doing the referral just by me saying 'brown fluid', it's now scared the living whoopsies out of me...

It's my Grandmothers 79th Birthday today & she wants to know how I got on, what on earth do I tell her???

Of course you are scared.  This would be a scary time for ANYBODY.

But you got through it!  You not only got there, but you planned ahead and brought evidence of the brown fluid.  You are one resourceful woman!  

Does your Grandma know about your appointment?  If she knows you were having some breast problems, and you don't want her to ask more questions, then you can try saying in a calm voice (even if you don't feel that way), something like 'They're checking it out.'  and changing the subject. People are taking nonverbal cues from you.  If you act worried, then they will too.

 Of course, we're crossing our fingers for you.  As the studies I posted say, the odds are certainly in your favor. Its natural to worry.

We're here for you.  Feel free to vent. 

I'm now wondering whether I should bother with my hospital appointment. My breast yesterday after the doc appointment started putting out the brown discharge again but not as much (probably because it's been squeezed to death!) & today, the discharge has gone a disgusting kind of orange/yellow/red type fluid/puss. It's sticky when you rub it between the fingers. I'm thinking that because the colour is wearing off from being dark brown, does it mean that whatever it is in there causing itis wearing off now? So should I cancel my appointment?

Hi Charmed

I'm from the Uk and have just read this thread and wanted to add this:

.  It is perfectly normal under the NHS guidelines to get an appontment with the breast clinic within a week.

.  Under no circumstances should you cancel your appointment.  Any breast abnormalities should be throughly checked out for their cause.

.  Is there any possibility you could be pregnant?  My friend lost weight the immediate couple of months after she got pregnant ... so it is possible.

Let us know how you get on!

Hi Charmed

I know this is hard, but trust me I'm from a medical family and you MUST STOP squeezing your nipple!  It is not uncommon to have a changing coloured discharge as we get older, and is not a usual sign of Breast Cancer. 

So, stop squeezing, get it checked out and remember the odds are firmly in your favour!

Nikki 

I lost this site from my favourites & have been wanting to post an update.

I went for an ultrasound & they couldn't find anything, by this time anyway the discharge cleared up on it's own. They sent me away with "If you get any discomfort or it comes back, you must come straight back in to see us". The consultant did say my breasts were very 'nodular' so she wasn't surprised that I could never tell if a lump is worth a worry or not. Anyway - all is fine & thank you so much everyone for so much support.

Sometimes things really aren't what you imagine them to be!