Breast Cancer Symptoms - a comprehensive list from those w/bc
Comments
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LeahLee - the BO is different than the sweating, but I see what you mean by changes either way. The pain from biopsy in axilla lasted for me about two months now, it still stings at times. But there was also cancer found in there, surgeon left it and no one would have found it even in going back to do a re-excision, so I am a year w cancer left in lymph nodes and that coudl be the pain, or it could be the cancer 'healing' from whatI am doing, wich also does hurt as the llittle cells die off, so who knows, still plugging away.
Denise - reaad a lot of your blog, congrats on mag and speaking engagements, you are a communicator! and we need you.
Miss Kimber - that is why I do not wait, I have been working on healing from cancer from the first moment I thought it just might be cancer. Research, never just wait for the red boot meaning cancer itself to squash us. This is a lifelong journey, returning to health never ends, in my opinion.
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Essa - thanks so much for your nice comments!
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LeahLea has shared on other threads that today was surgery day and she is on way home - hang in there, we know what you are going through. EDITED TO ADD - don't know i she will be back to this thread, we get so lost when first land on bco.... but she has a benign path report, a rare incidence, REJOICE!
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Itching, my breast was itching last week, grrr. Hoping it is from all the healing going on here. I remember the nipple which was very involved, itched and stung both before the surgery. Surgeon actually scraped behind nipple, pain for ove seven months, now no pain, and now itching all around sometimes.... so with what I am doing and the natural healing, I am hoping it is more healing.
So reread the thread. Bringing forward the discussion and questions on does breast cancer itch, page 4. Going back through the thread and from other threads, yes, breast cancer does itch. I would go for a thermogram to see the complete involvement, but those are out of pocket in US anyway. And now I know a little more about IBC, one can have both Inflammatory breast cancer and IDC or other. I also know for me, for me, the use of a series of mammos within a three month time made me feel burned and later to itch as it healed, that is for me. I swear by the more tests the better to know what is where and how.
Also whatelseispossible, I realized in reading back that you asked about the Rife, I did buy one, considered a modern version, updated technology with cds. I use it every other day. I think it has helped me. Sorry, I missed your comment, or I missed my own just now, possible. PM me for info if you like.
Thanks for any bumps to keep the list active even if you don't want to comment.
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This is a great line of questioning and very important. Pain is a symptom of breast cancer! I had pain in my breast when drinking coffee. That saved my life! It made me go in. We had recently moved. I asked my doctor twice prior to finding the lump about getting a mammogram. I waited but never received anything in the mail or during the GP visits about it. My parents were both gravely ill, and I took them to doctors, hospitals, got meds, etc., and I was working, so I didn't keep pushing for the mammogram. I had a breast exam a few months earlier by my GP. The doctor hadn't found anything. When I felt the pain and the lump, there was also some depression on the upper breast although the lump was beneath the breast. Things I had noticed prior were, thyroid symptoms for years but the numbers were not low enough to treat according to the doctors. About 5 months prior to discovering the lump, I had high ALT and high AST lab numbers which sometimes show problems in liver but nothing turned up in testing. I also had 3 bladder infections somewhat prior to the breast cancer diagnosis. My body temp was always in the 97's from age 21 and up. I always had heavy periods. This was followed by fibroids in my 30's, followed by extreme bleeding and hysterectomy. I was tired but thought it was due to my hectic schedule. When the cancer was found, my vitamin D levels were tested to be very low. Please keep up the inquiries with this line. It is devastating to think no one has ever asked women what their symptoms were to make a compilation but I wouldn't be surprised. KLeeR
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I have not been diagnosed, so I hope it's ok to chime in here. I am in the waiting stages. Anyway, when I read your statement about getting pain when your emotion changes, I knew exactly what you were talking about. I thought it was a psychological thing with me. I keep getting a sharp pain in the spot where the suspicion is. I say that because no lump can be felt, but something is on the mammo. So whatever is in there, definitely causes pain at the change of emotion that I feel.
I won't add anything else until I know what I have, but many things I read definitely apply to me.0 -
Suzy2012
It is certainly okay for you to join here. Wish circumstances were that you wouldn't need it but...... The more informed a person can be the better they can understand what the medical professionals say and do. I am almost a year out now, have appointments next month with both the MO and RO. Have had a couple of lumps appear the past few weeks, first one had a diagnostic mammogram and Ultra Sound and they think it may be cause by a Seroma filling the hollow and pushing the good tissue, so are monitoring it right now.
Like I have seen others post here "PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR BODY"!. Nobody recognizes something unusual better than you yourself!!
Good luck with your journey and please keep us updated. We are all pulling/praying for you and the rest of the 'club'..
Vickie
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I haven't been diagnosed either but I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who have shared! I've had some wacky things going on with my body. I don't know if they have anything to do with the lumps or not but this has sure been eye opening to me! Whether I get good or bad news I will definietly remember this thread and will pass this info on to anyone I can. I think it's very important for women to know these things! You are all so caring and curageous. I can't say enough how great it has been to read through this community during this nerve wracking time!
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Yes, the emotion and pain, the sadness and pain. It was right where that mass was for me. I went through a time some months back that it happened again but with tx has stopped. I remember all too well the emotional pain there, asked both surgeons I consulted and drs if they ever heard of it, they had not. Now we have, women on bco have said.
Thanks for adding to the list of breast cancer symptoms, good work, good sharing.
LOVEEssa
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Like I do every month, I am encouraging readers here to share on the other thread, "Does Breast Cancer Hurt: the truth by those who have been there." If you just read, great too, but please bump the list if you would, the more who read, the better off everyone is to know the more detailed signs of breast cancer. Thank you.
LOVEEssa
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Hi everyone!
This is my second time around dealing with BC. First time I found the lump while showering - no pain. Second time it felt like something was inside my breast branding me with a branding iron. The oncologist and breast surgeon didn't think it was anything to worry about. They said the pain was normal. I insisted on a check up and the BS found two lumps. The mammogram and ultrasound found three. It was on the same breast and almost the same place as the last time. I had a BMX because I don't want to go through this a third time.
Hugs to all!
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Im still getting those shooting pains from LX........seeing my ONC on wednesday for my regular check-up. I would have thought nothing of it - so glad you insisted on the check veggy!
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Shooting pains after a lumpectomy is really normal - it's what happens as the nerves regenerate and as the breast tissue shifts around to fill in the holes left by the removal of the area of cancer. I went 2 1/2 months between my excisional biopsy and my MX, and I found that particularly nearer to the end of that period, I had a lot of shooting pains. It's a very similar pain to what you get in the underarm area after some nodes have been removed, as the nerves regenerate. I remember almost jumping out of my chair when those shooting pains hit.
I think it's important to know that there are all sorts of symptoms of breast cancer - it's not just the common things that we read - and this thread is really important in letting everyone know that. But as Infobabe said a few posts back, we have women who come to this board with all sorts of aches and pains and symptoms, and most of them leave with benign results. So we need to be careful to emphasize that most of the time, these weird or unusual symptoms are either psychosomatic or they are completely unrelated to breast cancer. As we age, it's normal to develop new aches and pains. It's also normal to notice all sorts of symptoms when we are worried about our health. These things are not necessarily - and usually aren't - a sign of breast cancer.
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Definitely, afte dx and surgery, even chemo and rads, the pains is there, those are not symptoms of breast cancer. I had those pains too, shooting pain. I also had the pains before and after surgery.
Most leave with benign results? I was not aware of that. But more often than not, I have been on other forums than the 'Not dx but worried.'
True, it could be that women who have what seem to be symptoms are dealing with something other than cancer.
There are 120K women and men on breastcancer.org so a lot of symptoms for breast cancer since it is individually based.
We also have to be careful that while we are telling others that it is probably going to be just fine, could be a cyst, an abcess, an infected duct (what I thought mine was, the GP would drain it, I would go home) an infected gland, the flu, anemia -------- they will be fine soon ---------- but we need to be careful that we never give a person the slightest idea that they should not be expressing their concerns, asking questions and do anything that could cause them to be reticent of strongly advocating their health choices to find out what it really is.
I think this thread is valuable because many go undiagnosed and untreated (by whatever means of treatment) since some of the medical system often is trying to tell so many that it is 'nothing' or to 'wait and see' when the person with the symptoms that could be breast cancer knows something is not right.
This thread is for those who want to share their symptoms ---- the ones both before they were diagnosed and after they were diagnosed --- so we can compare, understand as we take a serious look at what was happening in our bodies. Those symptoms are clues to diagnosis, pushing for diagnosis and recovery.
When you read, if you do not want to post, then please type 'bump' in the reply box and submit so the thread stays active.
Thanks!
LOVEEssa
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Bump
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Essa, yes, most do leave this forum with benign results.
Approx. 95% of callbacks turn out to be benign.
Of those who do need biopsies, approx. 80% of the biopsies end with benign results.
And thousands of women have some to this site over the years worried or even convinced that they have breast cancer when in fact they don't.
It's important than everyone coming here know this, so that they realize that in most cases (an exception being those with a BIRADs 5 rating on their films), the odds are very much in their favor that everything will turn out to be fine and they will not be diagnosed with breast cancer. The following article provides a good explanation of the diagnostic process: Overview of Breast Cancer Diagnosis Decision Process
But, having said that, I couldn't agree more when you say:
"We also have to be careful that while we are telling others that it is probably going to be just fine, could be a cyst, an abcess, an infected duct (what I thought mine was, the GP would drain it, I would go home) an infected gland, the flu, anemia -------- they will be fine soon ---------- but we need to be careful that we never give a person the slightest idea that they should not be expressing their concerns, asking questions and do anything that could cause them to be reticent of strongly advocating their health choices to find out what it really is."
Knowing that most of the women who come here will not be diagnosed with breast cancer doesn't mean that any one woman might not be. Going into a biopsy with an 80% chance of having benign results hopefully takes away some of the panic, but those favorable odds shouldn't be taken as a sure thing. In the end, 20% of women who have biopsies do end up with breast cancer. Even with the most favorable odds, there is always someone who falls on the wrong side of the odds. So any change in your breasts should be investigated. And if you are not satisfied with the answers you receive, get a second opinion. Get the copies of your reports so that if you are told that "everything is okay", you understand exactly why they are saying that and if any short-term follow-up is necessary to confirm the finding or if a second opinion might be advisable.
Be diligent in checking your breasts and knowing your breasts so that you are able to spot changes that should be checked out. Take control of your health. Make sure you understand and are satisfied with any answers you are given by your doctors. But at the same time, don't assume the worst because most often, those callbacks and lumps and other strange things going on are not breast cancer.
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My lump is not showing up on US or mammo and my doctors refuse a biopsy! Im not sure what to do now any advise? Thanks and hugs
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I had no symptoms what so ever. I had even had my yearly woman exam 2 months before and had been given a clean bill of health. The even did the breast exam and nothing. 2 months later I had a sharp pain in my left breast. Reached up to feel where the pain was and found a lump. It was 2.6 cm and already a stage 3A. The only risk factor I had was being female. No family history or anything. I aslo had the BRACA testing done and they were both negative. Just lucky I guess. Oh and I was only 37 at diagnosis.
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I had an itchy breast - I would scratch it so hard that it would bleed. I mentioned it to several doctors who told me without examination that I was "allergic" to a new soap or shampoo. Later, it dawned on me that if it was a new soap, wouldn't I itch all over? I no longer see those doctors.
I had low blood sugar and a hypothyroid. There was a period about 4 years before diagnoisis that I could smell sour milk, like a baby threw up on me. But, no baby.
And, I had the sugar cravings... Lots of sugar cravings.... could not make it through the afternoon without the sugar. Now, after this, I am starting to not want to eat sugar and soon I thinK I will give it up.
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I had no symptoms until one day the nipple felt a bit tender, like it would feel when I still had a menstrual cycle. Tenderness only lasted for an hour or 2, but it was enough to get my attention. I knew I was late, very late in getting a mammo. I figured a year or two late, but it had been 4 years ( I was so embarrassed ). I usually got them every year since turning 40. I'm almost 62 now. But I'd been so busy taking care of everyone else, I forgot to take care of me.
For 3 & 1/2 years I had taken care of a favorite aunt in my home. She had fallen and had a head injury. I changed adult diapers..the whole 9 yards. During all that time I rarely went anywhere except the church & the grocery store.
Aunt June passed away on June 26, 2012. It was 2 weeks later that I felt the tenderness. I made an appointment that same day. Was called back a week later for another mammo & ultrasound. Was told by radiologist that he was 70% sure there was a cancer. I chose a surgeon that day. I've had a biopsy, and am still waiting for surgery which is scheduled for October 22.
Blessings
Paula0 -
bump
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bump again
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last year I was a birads 4-5 when they found 2 lumps. The report states "suspicious findings" and atypical proliferation was mentioned. I had vacu assist biopsy. Slides sent out to one place, then another for a second opinion. B9. I was on the watch for 6 months list.Went back for a mammogram 6 mo later and nothing different, except maybe some shrinkage in the lumps where they aspirated it. But now it feels like the 2 cm lump at 2 o'clock has gotten larger. Prior to this for the past 4 months my breast itched like crazy where I wanted to tear the nipples off! Then the tenderness and pains started now for over a month. First on the left side when I type or cross my arms, then sometimes a shooting pain for a few seconds, sometimes a cramping feeling that bolts down toward my ribs. But, I have armed myself with the knowledge I have learned on this forum and saw my gyno. She gave me an rx for a diagnostic mammo and US. "palpable 2 cm mass". I go in 4 days to get this checked out. I too have been craving sweets like crazy and am very tired all the time. But my job keeps me running around on my feet for 8 hrs, so that could be a factor. I was misdiagnosed for over 5 years with rare dangerous adrenal tumor, even after I begged them to check for it. I was told, its too rare, quit watching House,stay away from webmd and its a harmless adenoma. They were dead wrong. It could have killed me. I vowed to never wait again if I felt something was not right with my body. And go with my gut feeling I pray I don't have cancer. But I want these things taken out of my body for good, for peace of mind. I am angry they didn't suck them out with the vacu assist biopsy the first time and left them there.
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BUMP
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Teesa, what a good idea, to suck them out. LOL. Several years back I had adrenal failure in left over kidney. I was 'fainting' when I stood up. Pain there, tired. On House one night sometime after I wa actually dx, I saw an episode where a woman's adrenal had seperated from her kidney area when she was being bounced in a wedding ceremony. I jumped up - that's it that's what it was like, just fainted dead away every time I stood up too, but a bit different reason. House is very beneficial. Do they ever do breast cancer? Also, can you post this on the other thread too. does bc hurt... link in intro I wrote.
LOVEEssa
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Essa, wow I had a tumor removed on my left adrenal gland a few years ago called pheochromocytoma. That was also on an episode of house the one with LL cool J and he went into a rage because of the rush of adrenaline. It is a rare tumor in fact 50% of them are found during an autopsy. The doctors denied me for over 5 years when I asked to be tested for it, they laughed because it was so rare and they told me to quit watching house and quit surfing web md! Having your adrenals messed with is no fun
Did you end up with adrenal insufficiency? I guess you can imagine why I am so paranoid, I was misdiagnosed and put on several unnecessary medications for over 5 years! I don't think I ever saw BC on House. They usually do a rare diagnosis.0 -
I had swollen lymph node that turned out to be nothing. I was sick with a cold at the time. But that was what made get my 1st mammo at age 36. I wanted to peace of mind. My gyn says its probably nothing. Good thing I went, I would of walked around another 4 years until I reach the recommended age to get a mammo. No lump, but I did have occasional itching on the breast cancer breast. Don't know if that's related.
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Good topic. Looking back on it I didnt have the breast pain but I had the weight loss. I remember in the summer before they found it I went to a wedding shower and my sister in law remarked how much weight I had lost. Okay I had totally cut out sugar stuff(such a sugar baby) and noticed I had dropped 6 or 7 lbs but I thought that must be why. I think now it was the cancer. I remember my X's aunt bragging that she dropped 18 lbs w/o trying and my mother saying she might be really sick or God forbid cancer. I may have some of the other symptoms you guys are describing I just dont remember anything out of the ordinary. I have people ask me all the time did it hurt and if it didnt...not a hard and fast rule at all. I had no pain and I have bc. diane
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