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Topic: Please explain "thickening"

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Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 9
  • Posted on: May 1, 2008 12:36 am
Aimers wrote:

Could someone please explain in more detail what a "thickening" feels like?

Is it something you would feel externally with your fingers when doing a self-exam? ... Or is it more of a sensation you feel internally within your breast?

Thank you for helping me understand...

Posts 1 - 3 (3 total)
2bubbas
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 134
May 1, 2008 02:17 am 2bubbas wrote:

I'm not sure what others mean by thickening, but in my mind it's what you feel with your hand when you touch yourself.

I've always had lumpy breasts, and never knew what a normal breast felt like until after I had my twins.  My boobs just totally deflated (after the engorgement was all done) and totally lumpless.  Never felt that before - it was fantastic!  But eventually some lumps returned.  Most of those have a particular size and shape.  I would call a thickening a gigantic lump.    Like a quarter of your boob.  But not a round thing.  Just an area.  Thick feeling, not squishy.

Does that make sense?

I'm not sure if that's right, but that's what it is in my mind.

Kestrel
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 14
May 1, 2008 06:01 am Kestrel wrote:

I had lobular cancer which was described as "thickening".  The so-called thickening was apparent on the mammogram and the reason I was referred for biopsy which identified the lobular cancer.  I had been physically examined by my family doctor who was unable to feel anything in the area and I was not able to feel anything either.  That probably doesn't help you ...

Beesie
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 3354
May 1, 2008 11:00 am Beesie wrote:

I've had lumpy breasts and thickened breast tissue all my life.  My description would be the same as 2bubbas.  When I do my BSEs, large parts of my breast tissue feels like a huge solid moveable lump.

Dx 9/15/2005, DCIS 6cm+ Grade 3 w/ IDC microinvasion, Stage I, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR-

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