Does Breast Cancer Hurt - honest truth from bc patients
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NeedingHelp, this is why I am really not a fan of this thread. Undiagnosed women with common cysts or fibrocystic or hormonal symptoms use this thread to convince themselves they have cancer before completing their testing and just frighten themselves, only to find out what is going on with them is entirely benign. The vast majority of those women have moved on with their lives and are not here posting on a breast cancer board. While cancer can hurt, most women had NO symptoms, sometimes not even a lump, before diagnosis.
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Thanks for the reassurance Melissa...
Ive been feeling this lump again, it almost feels like a long thickening of tissue, the lump is still there. It can move a little, feels kinda hard but not rock hard. I also feel my other breast. It feels like there is hundereds of small tiny little lumps. The one with the big lump has the same.
Now my question. Can fibrous breasts cause one solid lump/thickening of tisse that can be painful? Also, does this mean my risk of getting BC is much higher?
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Yes, fibroadenomas are benign lumps of tissue and they can even be very large. They tend to wax and wane with your menstrual cycle, so may feel larger and sore premenstrually. 60% of women have fibrocystic breasts and it does not raise your risk, other than when you get to an age that cancer is more likely a large fibroadenoma can obscure other things behind it on imaging. They can be removed if this is a concern or if the are so big they bother you.
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bump
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Not yet diagnosed, but this article is pushing me in the direction I need to go in order to help myself towards healing and health. Thanks so much!
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My lump did not hurt, but I understand that shooting pain can be a symptom of bc. My fibroid cystic breasts hurt every month. Now that I'm just about post menopausal, the cysts have subsided quite a bit. The real message here is to know your body and get everything checked out to the point that you are satisfied everything has been done.
My OBGYN felt my lump and thought it was just fibroid cystic, I listened to her and waited. I knew deep down it was more. So we know when something is really wrong, listen to your inner voice.
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I had 2 lumps that were different than my usual lumps. They didn't move as much and weren't as rubbery. They were on the the side of my breast near my armpit and my breast would ache sometimes. My doctor felt them but wasn't worried about them. My mammogram was the next month anyway. The mammogram led to a sonogram right after, and then a biopsy on the spot. During the waiting for biopsy results, then surgery, my breast continued to ache. My bra was tighter on that side, as well. Only one lump was cancer. I always had fibrocystic, lumpy breasts but the harder lumps, achy breast, and tighter bra on that side definitely alarmed me.
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Hi everyone! I'm having panic attacks over the pain that I'm having in my left breast. It started on a Saturday morning with just a small stabbing like pain in the upper part; by end of day my nipple felt like there was an ice pick stabbing all the way through - deep feeling. The entire breast was sore with burning and shooting sharp pains by Monday that I had to hold my breast when I walked or changed positions. I saw my family doctor on Wednesday; it was truly the worst breast exam I've ever had - I cried. He said that he since my lumpy nothing sent alarm bells to him but he would schedule a mammogram and ultrasound. I'm waiting for that appointment as it falls on the 29th of this month. The pain has lessen up however, my armpit has started to hurt as well as my shoulder. I have fibro so chronic pain is not a stranger to me at all but this isn't fibro. The lump (pea size) is painful to the touch as well as some of the lumps on my left (very painful to the touch). I'm 52 this year, no history of breast cancer, had a hysterectomy at 32 due to pre-cancerous cells in the cervix and HRT for a few years. Should I call my doctor back and ask for him to include the armpit at the time of the ultrasound? My doctor told me that breast cancer is not painful and I'm at a lower risk since there's no history. After reading everyone's post - I'm truly scared out of my mind.
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My doctor told me that I had likely had my BC for 5-7 years before it was big enough to detect. I had no pain, and my tumor was so deep that it couldn't be felt during exams (both self and by docs). If it hadn't been for the mammogram, I wouldn't have known it was there. When I did have pain from a benign cyst years ago, my doctor said the same thing about pain not being an indicator of BC. He was right. My cyst eventually went away on its own.
Most breast cancers are slow growing. I don't think that moving up your appointment would make much difference that way. I'd mention the pain under your arm to the technician when you go for your ultrasound. I hope you find that it is nothing cancerous.
Blessings
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I had throbbing burning pain in my cancer breast as well as pain in my armpit for several months before being diagnosed with breast cancer which has spread to my axillary lymph node. My Ono doctor told me that breast cancer does not hurt but my did.
Bitster: Praying for negative results for you.
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Thanks! I'll post a follow up after the tests.
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I found a small lump 2nd week of July by mid August I had felt by hand and in my boob this lump grow and double in size. By end of August the pain was unbarable to handle I was bent over crying most nights. It felt like a milk duct was clogged to the max but all over my boob. The pain was burning and shooting and sent pain down my arm around my back in underarm. Had appointment with the first doctor mid September she assured me it couldn't be cancer because CANCER DOESNT HURT she also said cancer doesn't grow that fast. And I'm only 27 and only one person in entire family all sides has ever had breast cancer. But she sent me for a mammogram on a Friday. On Saturday my breast started indenting. After numerous more appointments within 3 weeks and three more doctors trying to assure me breast cancer doesn't hurt doesn't grow fast and so forth, I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma grade 2. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. I knew all along it was cancer and every doctor said I was wrong.
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mine didn't hurt at all until I knew there was am lump,there then it hurt slightly.
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Not been diagnosed but have US next Wednesday. Extreme pain in breast, pain in underarm and in shoulder. The lump appeared over a year ago and had US back then. Was told probably cyst but nothing showed on ultrasound. Fast forward to 2 months ago when the pain started and I realised the lump had grown quite a bit. Went to gp who said there is also a cluster of small lumps in other breast. Will have to see what happens at the US next week.
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my lump did hurt. I had a burning pain. It also grew quickly. You should get checked out sooner rather than later
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My sister says I should stay off this site as it will make me worry more. I don't think it makes me worry more I just think I need to be here and be supported by people in similar situations. She also believes that pain = no cancer. I'm not saying that's what I've got but I would like to be ready for any dx.
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Thanks for posting this. Once I am better, I am going to do my best to inform AMA moms to get checked out. I was just diagnosed, I do not know all of the bc lingo yet. I have IDC stage IIB, and one lymph node is affected. I kept putting of getting seen because I kept reading bc typically does not hurt. I believed it.
I noticed something was wrong after the birth of my son at age 40. I had dimpling and what felt like a lump to me. I showed the doc at my post partum appt. I was told it's normal for breasts to have such changes after pregnancy. I also had my husband feel it a few times, he kept telling me I was nuts. I wish I just went and had it checked out. I will never put my health in the hands of anyone but a doctor again. My husband also gott sick over the summer and nearly died, my health got put on the back burner. We still haven't even recovered financially from that catastrophe, now we have mine. I'm sure many of you have gone through worse, but it still sucks. I often wonder what life is going to do to poop on me next...
I started weightlifting, which I love and still try to do. I noticed the dull pain in the affected area began to become more frequent. I went to my boss's breast surgeon and they immediately did a core biopsy, which I felt every second of the first sample being taken. Don't be afraid if you are facing this, just tell them if you are not adequately numbed. The rest of the samples did not hurt, but it has traumatized me enough to hate them, honestly.
So, yes, bc does hurt. If you are having pain, get checked out please. Better safe than sick!
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Astarte-
We just wanted to welcome you to Breastcancer.org. We're sorry for the circumstances that brought you here, but we're very glad you've found us. These forums offer a lot of support and insight for women such as yourself, and we hope you find a community you feel comfortable in here. You might also want to check out the IDC forums, lots of good info there: https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/96.
Thinking of you!
The Mods
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Mine didn't hurt but I knew it was there and when I lay on my stomach I could feel it. Shame the Doctors didn't believe me for 18 months though!!!
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I had the exact same type of pain described in the original post - occasional sharp, shooting pain. I was about due for my self-exam anyway, but the pain caused me to feel around and is the reason that I found my lump when I did.
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Testing...
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It drives me crazy when doctors say not to worry if there's no family history of BC...I am one of those 85% dx with BC and ZERO family history. I feel it's such a lie and disservice to their patients. I had a false sense of security from my own OB-GYN every single year. I know it's not his fault I have BC but I am very angry at him for the ruse he and others perpetrate on women during their questioning and annual exams. Grrrr
Btw, I too had burning shooting pains that started from my nipple to my axilla.
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Hello all! Let me first state that I do not have a dx of BC. I am 34 years old but when I was 29 I went to see a "boob" doc because whenever I would bend over it felt like a bee was stinging me in my left bottom breast. I touched it and it felt like a small moveable lump about the size of pea. It was only painful when bending over. The boob doc did a mammogram and an ultrasound and a bx. There was indeed a lump but it was negative which was great news. After the bx I noticed that it was more painful. Almost as if they had pissed it off or something. I later had that same stinging pain in my neck. I did an ultrasound of that and they found a nodule highly suspicious for cancer. They said I had a multinodular goiter with oncocytic changes. They did not say it was cancer but instead we would keep an eye on it. Since then I feel this SAME stinging in my armpit, sternum, and upper right quadrant of my abdomen. I also feel it in the back of my head on the left side. The really bothersome thing is that I am short of breath and fatigued. I was very active just a few years ago, and now I cannot even tolerate minimal exercise. The cardiologist said I have an autonomic nervous system problem. I asked, how did I get this this? I was an avid exerciser and was very healthy prior to 3 years ago. He named a list of thine of them being cancer. He then explained that most likely was not it and that I just needed to exercise more. I thought this man is crazy! I have seen every specialist except a rheumatologist or oncologist obviously. I saw my boob doc again 3 months ago because I had a thick feeling to the same breast on the far left by my armpit but still in the breast tissue itself. We did another US and the tech was stone silent, then went to get the doc and he came in and said "your nodule that you had has gotten bigger since 2009." It went from a pea to a dime. " We will certainly need to bx this" I then said, "It was negative in 2009 but I feel the same stinging or shooting stinging sensation in other parts of my body." He said "Oh! Well if it was bx'ed then we don't need to do it again." He totally blew off my pain and the large new cyst on the other side of the same breast." I followed up with my boob doc to see if she agreed and she said at my age (34) I shouldn't worry. Please reply with any advice, suggestions, experience. I feel like am am crawling out of the crypt every morning. The shortness of breath and palpitations are the worst. I am not anxious about this though...I mean, I m realistic but I am not loosing sleep or anything. I have had 2 chest x-rays that show old granulatomous disease and that's about it.
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they say that bc does not cause pain so most times this must be true. I however did have pain in my arm pit and down my arm. Nothing visible on mammogram and nothing felt. Told clinician at next mammogram and they did see something. Sent for MRI and bc found far down by chest wall centre of breast. I think you should always say if you have pain. It may not be related to bc but sometimes it is.
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Hello, I was wondering if anyone has experienced a a breast change under the breast near the breast bone. My doctors are watching this area under my right breast , it is felt more when laying down than standing up . I am having another mammo done soon to make sure it is not the start of something , also , it does hurt at times. not sure what to think as the rib bone seems to be involved too. I am positive for an unknown variant with the BRCA2 gene as well. More concerned with ovarian cancer at the moment . Thanks .
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Mine didn't hurt but it itched like crazy! None of my doctors had ever heard of that presentation.
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I have had itchy nipples before , but that aspect gets ignored as unimportant too. Thank you for sharing
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The only reason I knew I had breast cancer was I felt a shooting pain under my arm, no obvious lump. Gut instinct told me something was wrong. Thank goodness I got checked out.
No family history, 40, healthy lifestyle! When I googled breast cancer it did say it didn't hurt but mine absolutely did, thank goodness elsei wouldn't have gone for a scan for years.
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Hello,
I have been having pain, burning sensation, itchiness, shooting pain to the point that i am bent down and trying to breathe for about 2-3 months in my left breast. Mentioned it to my GYN doc (was not felt by self or doc exam) and he referred me to have an US done. Sure enough a lump (2C) was found and I was scheduled for a guided core biopsy the next day. Pathology reported the lump being a fibroadenoma. Radiologists were concerned and was referred to a BS and have surgery scheduled for next Monday but during the consultation with the BS she discovered a lump in my right breast 10 o'clock near my ariola. Now this lump does not hurt however I am now having the same symptoms as in my left breast. Biopsy done for the right and my doc said it was "probably a fibroadenoma benign ". I got the feeling that it was brushed off since it wasn't an actual confirmation of what the lump in my right breast really was. I have been told the normal "you;re too young its more than likely nothing, BC is not pain, yada yada yada" but given my family history I am concerned.
Has anyone ever heard or experienced of BC being mistaken for a fibroadenoma?
Thanks!
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Hi, I'm so glad to have found this forum. Hearing all the stories has been so helpful and you are all amazing women.
I've had breast pain in the right breast for the last two months and now I'm scheduled for a diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound. I don't feel a lump, but I know that doesn't mean one isn't there. The pain occurs only when I move and it's a tugging sensation & sometimes a twinge of soreness--on a scale of 1-10, it's a 1-2. I don't feel pain when I'm lying down; I sleep through the night. When I drink wine, it aggravates what's there & I feel more tenderness. I'm post-menopausal and have family history--my mother had BC at 38. My husband is about to have surgery for prostate cancer, so this is happening at the worst time. I need to be focused on helping him through his surgery & recovery.
Thanks in advance for any insights you may have. Blessings to all of you.
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