Does Breast Cancer Hurt - honest truth from bc patients
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No pain in breast, very fit and healthy just turned 40 when dx no family history, found lump myself. Mammogram and ultrasound both showed 2 tumours in breast, only one was palpable.
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Hi DianeEssa
Congratulations on starting this thread. I think women need to know that pain CAN be a sign of breast cancer.
I was diagnosed in Sep 2009 with IDC TN cancer in my right breast and I was first made aware of the tumour because of the pain it caused. I had neoadjuvant chemo and throughout that treatment the tumour became very painful. It didn't respond to chemo so treatment was withdrawn and I had a lumpectomy in Jan 2010. Summer 2011 I felt a pain in my left breast - no lump - just a pain. The Onc sent me for a bone scan which was clear. The pain persisted so I kept checking myself. Sure enough a 'ridge' appeared in the same area. By late Aug that ridge was spreading / becomming harder and more painful so I rang the breast surgeon. They too could feel the ridge and sent me for a mammo and ultrasound. Nothing - they were clear. I mentioned the pain and the BS said that was a 'good' sign - whatever was causing this was not cancer! But I KNEW from experience with my first TN tumour that this was not the case. It was only because of my history with BC that they decided to do a biopsy. I had a fine needle biopsy first. It was very painful and I had severe heamorrage in my left breast. I went back the next week and they said that the sample was inconclusive but the damage to my breast was so extensive that they had to wait another month for a core needle biopsy. The results again were inconclusive (I knew they hadn't got the right area when the dressings were removed anyway) and I had to have another core needle biopsy. So, I was finally diagnosed mid October 2011. This time Grade 3 DCIS which was 'occult' i.e. invisible to scans and had no calcification (it was growing quickly). I had a bilateral mast on 8th Dec - in my latest visit to the BS they were 'congratulating' themselves that THEY found it early! I felt that the pain I had was a signal and that without it this tumour, being invisible to scans, would have turned invasive and become life threatening. Pain saved my life. So, ladies even with clean scans, know your body and check for changes and do not ignore pain.
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Iyanla Vanzant quote:
P.A.I.N. - Pay Attention Inward Now
This certainly applies to many of us before diagnosis of Breast Cancer.
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Karen, thank you for sharing and congrats on being persistent and listening to your body. You had to be so obstinate, why should this be ? a great lesson for each and everyone of us
Cary, please don't feel alone and scared, we're all here for you. Ask questions, share your feelings, this is what this community is meant for. Hugs to you little sister
Denise, that is a very good motto, thanks for that
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I breastfed four children and always was told it was a preventative measure against BC. Mine wasmuli-focal, so apparently that wasn't the case! The only thing I think is a bit odd is the fact that it was in my left breast and because I am left handed, that breast didn't always get its "proper" stimulation - I was always using my left hand do other things and and innocently used my right breast more frequently.
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Read all the new posts.
Karen - good story, lessons for all to keep on with your point, but oh the patience that is asked of us, hhhmmmmm.
Hundreds of women on bco have breastfed and are here, there is no one simple way to avoid this, hope you don't dwell on that. Did you have pain before dx? comingtoterms?
LouLou and Caya, thank you for sharing too. Caya, that is my eldest daughter's nickname.
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Diane, the dent itself didn't hurt but my breast would be tender during my period or after eating too much salt. I was on back to back birth control to control excruitiating migraines so Lumpy & Co. (I named my tumour) got plenty of food.
Oh, Maud! Your shoulder pain concerns me. Mine got worse and worse and nothing helped. It took percocet for my liver biopsy pain to shut it down a bit and Oxy to control it. I have a bad left shoulder but the right started to really hurt. I hope it's nothing.
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Mland, I realized after the fact that the breast had felt like it did with backed up breast milk back when I was breast feeding. Mine did hurt, but because my breasts had always hurt and been sensitive, I did not pay attention.
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I had no pain. I found a lump during a self exam in the shower. It was in the outer quadrant of my left breast and it never caused me pain.
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Hi Diane, I had only the "normal" premenstrual pains in my breast before diagnosis. I had lost weight, and was losing my hair in handfulls. My PC doctor said it was stress! Yes, unknown stress!!!
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Update.....I saw my BS yesterday. First he did a breast exam & found an inflamed lymph node. It HURT to touch it. Then he went over ALL my films mammo & US. It is only measuring 1/3 of an inch. Very small. The one US film that really caught his attention is one that shows that the cyst is taller than it is wide. It has some thickened walls. In fact it kinda looks like a vase with a rounded bottom going up to a narrower neck then slightly flaring at the top. The plan is to go in this coming Tuesday & start with an US guided fine needle biopsy. If he encounters trouble or stuff is left after aspiration of the cystic nodule. He will then switch to an US guided needle core biopsy. He then will probably do a core needle biopsy on the axillary node depending on what the other biopsy samples look like. He is hoping that the node is just inflamed from what we all thought was an infection that caused my nipple to become red for a few days with pain & tiny lumps. That's what had sent me to have it checked out in the first place. But he also talked about it being BC too & the ways in which it would be treated if it hadn't spread as the mass is so small. He said about 3-4 days for biopsy results. That is what will decide what going on!
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Yes, it can hurt despite the opinions otherwise. My initial lump in 1998 hurt which falsely led me to believe it was not cancer as the predominate opinions at the time were that cancer didn't hurt. WRONG...it can and sometimes does and the lump was breast cancer. Now I have mets to the spine and abdominal wall and will be treating forever.
My advice to everyone - if it doesn't feel right, check it out - better to err on the side of caution.
Oh, I was treated and had 10 1/2 wonderful cancer free years before the mets so there is always hope...I am thriving and living with mets after 2 1/2 years and I intend to be for a long time!
Best to All!
LowRider
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No diagnosis for me at this point. I'm still working on finding out what my somewhat difficult to palpate lump that does not show on mammo/us is. I will say this, though, my affected breast has been extremely tender for a couple of years now, and it's not cyclical, to a point that I've told my husband several times he's not allowed to touch that one. Since I'd already had a small fatty cyst in that area checked out and was told there was a lot of scar tissue from my reduction almost 12 years ago, I let it go. Knowing what I know now, thanks to you wonderful people here, I should have had the tenderness checked out, but thought it was just normal density and scar tissue. The radiologist who spoke with me on Wednesday said she thought it could be scar tissue, but she never tried to palpate it. It's a definite lump, bumpy and odd-shaped. I was wondering if anyone knew, though, would scar tissue still be developing after 12 years?
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I on't know but I haad a C-section and 2 tubal pgs, all evoking scar tissue. They were not still creating more scar tissue (to me) after the first year, they seemed done. My breast has scar tissue now, I can tell the difference between the scar of the multifocals that the highly respected surgeon who was not prepared missed. Good news, the small masses are going down, the lightening pain has stopped in the last four days too. Getting somewhere.
Good luck to you all.
Readers who do not want to write -- PLEASE Bump this up when done readng, just write bumpand hit submit.... , to give others a better chance too read and respond w their experiences too. Thank you!
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Hi all,
Yes, BC hurts.I found a pea sized lump at 2:00 right breast in Jan 2012. It was very tender the months following, I thought it was due to all the examinations. No puckers or dents, just pain. At core biopsy it was 2.4cm and I am waiting for pathology reports next week...surgery completed last week.
The thing I noticed most was I KNEW something was not right! I just did not think about my breasts. My GP thought I was crazy but ran test after test , 2 years of me complaining, nothing showed. We always monitored/ultrasound the left breast due to cysts and I had regular mammos but dense breasts. My body was screaming at me, inflammation in elbow, IBS and nightmares!? Last fall I had 3 Ocular Migraines, scary stuff, had no idea what the heck they were. My optometrist said they occur due to the body being under severe stress and I needed to relax. Are all these things linked? I think so.
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I think so too. For almost two years I was a mess, memory loss, spinning, hypothyroid, sick so often, no strength, yes, the nightmares. I wanted help for the thyroid, give me more more... but then found mass and started treting for cancer and memory and focus came back. I wish I had been checked even more thoroughly. Thank you for sharing.
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Good topic, Diane! My doctor told me that I didn't have breast cancer primarily because of my age (32/33 at the time) and because my lumps & breast hurt. (I was also experiencing a feeling similar to the "let down" feeling I remembered from when I breastfed--which she said wasn't a symptom.) Obviously now I know that I certainly wasn't too young and I understand that breast cancer can be painful, but at the time I believed her because I had always heard that if I found a lump that hurt, it wasn't anything to worry about.
If this myth weren't swirling about, I might have insisted that my doctor send me for a mammo or an ultrasound just to be sure instead of waiting as long as I did. I know this idea that 'pain=benign' persists with patients AND with doctors, so I'm glad to see that you started this thread!
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I am so happy that you started this post as well. I have had what the doctors call "busy breasts" for several years. In the fall of 2008 I had my annual mammogram and was given a BIRADS 3 and told to have a follow up in 6 months. In Spring 2009 I had my follow up which was rated BIRADS 4C and triggered a steriotactic biopsy, which came back B9. I was told that I have sclerosing adenosis which behaves and presents like cancer but is not cancer. I have very lumpy, ropey breasts so it is difficult to do self breast exams. I was getting mammograms every 6 months but now am on an annual screening again. My next scheduled mammogram is the end of July.
I have had breast pain in my right breast for years. It is shooting pain like an electric shock. But it seems to have gotten worse. I have had a total of 4 biopsies over the years and convinced myself it is just scar tissue. But lately I have also been having a pulling sensation. Sometimes it happens when I move a certain way, sometimes it just happens on its own. I too have read that BC does not hurt and have been told that by several medical professionals. After reading this post I feel like I shouldn't feel safe if my mammogram comes back fine and maybe I should not wait for my annual appointment to get my exam and mammo. The radiology place that I go to, and my PCP, have labeled me high risk and ask for a high risk reading on my mammograms. I am not sure if that helps if nothing shows up except calcifications.
Thank you ladies, you have inspired me to step up my exam. I too feel like my body is telling me something but I also felt 100% sure in 2009 that I had breast cancer and that was not the case. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish between instinct and fear. I have always felt like they missed it but what can you do when they have done mammogram, ultra sound and biopsy and they all came back B9?
Also, I am 55 and postmenaposal, I had tests done last summer that told me that my ovaries are no longer producing estrogen. I don't believe it is possible for the pain to be hormonal. I do have a chip in my right breast (the one that is giving me pain now) from the biopsy I had in 2009.
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Mom2Twins - yes, the myth must stop. I realize there arre med pros who know the truth but the stories on here and bc symptom thread tell the fact that women and men are walking around unaware.
Fergy - you said...." I was told that I have sclerosing adenosis which behaves and presents like cancer but is not cancer. I have very lumpy, ropey breasts so it is difficult to do self breast exams. "
That is what has happened on the left side for me, a ropey section there and also under the right breast where the mass was removed. I does confuse me as to waht I am feeling.
There is an option to mammos - thermography. Do a search for clinic near you. No radiation, will give you a clear picture of what is happening because it uses the heat of your body to show anything that is not to be, even connections to the cavities and root canals in women that connect right to their mass. Docs usually do not accept it as evidence, but you will know more and know where to go next. Which would probably be the case where you could push for an MRI and get it.
Question - why did they leave a chip in your breast. Second time I heard this is a few days, the other lady it happened to is pissed off, and I would be too. What reason could they have?
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Yes I believe the "BC doesn't hurt" myth has backfired and been convoluted from its original truth.
I think the original intent was to say that "BC doesn't NECESSARILY hurt". My doctor said I was too young for BC, after I went in twice over several months for clinical breast exams for a 3cm sized lump.
Finally the needle like shooting electrical pain in the area around the tumor made me see another doctor, who agreed that a diagnostic mammo was warranted.
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Thanks DianeEssa, I will check into the thermography. I might just pay for it myself if my insurance won't so I can have some peace of mind.
The chip is implanted so in future mammograms it will alert the radiologist where you had the biopsy and they can watch that area closer. I was told ahead of time that the chip would be put in and I had to sign a waiver agreeing to have it placed. It is a very small titanium chip and it cannot be felt only seen in an x-ray. Kind of like a bookmarker when you are reading a novel. :-) I am not sure why anyone would be angry about having the titanium chip placed at the biopsy site?
It does make sense that if you have something growing in your breast that it would put pressure on nerves and muscles and cause pain. I think the reason doctors say that is because the tumor itself does not cause pain but there could be residual pain as a result of the tumor. I think they are trying to keep hysterical women from running to get a mammogram every time they have breast pain.
When they were doing mammograms on me every 3 months, then every 6 months after spending an hour in a mammorgram machine having a stereotactic biopsy done I was concerened about radiation exposure. I was told not to worry but that still is a concern too. I guess the best thing to do is live your life to the fullest and listen to your instinct. Like I said before sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between insight and fear though.
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DianeEssa, I took your advice and did some research on thermography breast imaging. I found that there is an imaging center in the town right next to the town I live in. It only cost $195 and you get 2 reports. One for you to keep and one to give to your physician. It takes about 1/2 hour to perform and you receive your report in 10 days. Everything in the literature states that it is NOT a replacement for other breast imaging but should be used in conjunction with mammogram, ultrasound, MRI, clinic exam and monthly self breast exam. If it doesn't show anything then I will feel better about the results of the other tests. If it does show something then I will be more agressive about the other tests. Thank you for recommending it.
I will come back and post in 10 days what the results are. I appologize for getting off topic but I believe that things happen for a reason. I stumbled upon this thread and was given this suggestion for a reason.
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I too am searching out a clinic that has thermography and also does cancer and integrative, but most clinics with the thermography are for pain. The closest so far is five + hours.
Yes, for a reason. Thank you for sharing your progress.
After the last six slides I had pain on skin like a sunburn that lasted about a month. Then I learned of thermography and decided to switch to that and MRIs when necessary, more details, I believe.
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Hi Beth,
I am so thankful for people like you who share their experiences in this forum.
I went for my regular mammogram a couple of weeks ago through Ontario Breast Screening Program. The nurse examined my breasts first and found what she called "a significant lump" in my left breast at 3 o'clock, deep behind the nipple. I almost jumped off the table when she pressed on it because it hurt so much. ( I am ashamed to say I have not been doing self examination) I got a letter a couple of days later saying the mammogram didn't show any signs of cancer, but I should make an appointment to see my primary care physician for further examination of areas found by the nurse. My doctor is away for a month and I wasn't concerned because I was told that if the lump hurt it most likely wasn't cancer. I know I have dense breasts and now I am wondering if I should be more concerned.
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I went for the Breast Thermography yesterday. They are an FDA approved facility and have been there for 10 years. The technician that did my tests has been there for 9 years and is a breast cancer survivor. She had asked me if I had any pain in my breasts, so I asked if that made a difference of whether it was cancer or not. She said "lots of cancerous tumors cause pain and to say they don't is a myth". I then told her about the pulling sensation that I have been having and she shared with me that she also had a pulling sensation when her cancer was detected. However, hers was so severe she couldn't hold her arms above her head for more than a few seconds and mine is not nearly that bad. Her cancer was a very rare form and did not show on a mammogram and she was dismissed by her doctor regarding he pulling sensation. Then she heard about thermography and it showed the blood vessels. She went to a different doctor, insisted on additional testing and they found her cancer. It was early stage and was treated with lumpectomy and radiation. She is 10 yrs NED. That is what prompted her to change careers and now she is a thermography technician.
Just thought I would share her experience. She strongly emphasized, as well as all the literature that she gave me, that thermography SHOULD NOT be considered as a replacement for mammography or ultra sound due to the various reasons you could have hot spots or extra blood vessels. She said it should be used in conjunction with mammogram and/or ultra sound but not as a stand alone test.
Insurance does not pay for the tests and it cost me $195. It will be 10 days before I get the test results and they are done by a board certified physician. Knowledge is power and it gives me great comfort to know I have added another source of data to my arsenal when making medical decisions. I will still go get my mammogram the end of July and I plan to discuss the results of the breast thermography with my doctor in June when I see him and go from there.
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A year before my dx, I was having shooting pains in my left breast that would come and go. I saw a breast doctor and he did an ultrasound and said there was
Nothing there. He gave me something for inflammation...tamoxifen! Had
No idea it was a cancer drug...and sent me on my way. No follow up appointment, nothing, so when the pains went away I stopped worrying about it. When I found my lump a year later I wasn't worried because the doctor had seemed so unconcerned the year before. When I did
Go have the lump checked, I was already stage four. ) ; I carry around that bottle of tamoxifen to remind myself never to ignore what my body is telling me and to pay better attention to what
Doctors do and prescribe for me.0 -
My dr ignored me for a year and a half saying my breast was cystic when I complained of pain and commenting on lump. Had a mammogram. I get very upset when I think about it.
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Mine hurt. Not severe pain or anything, but tender to the touch. I had heard breast cancer doesn't hurt and that if you have a spot that does it is likely not cancer. It did not delay me though. I just knew.
I have told a lot of people since that mine did hurt so they don't fail to check something out. So many women have heard breast cancer does not hurt, yet so many women who have had it say theirs did.
I agree, time to end that myth.
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I had burning pain in my breat that would come and go. I told the Chemo doctor about it and she did not feel any lumps. She told me that if the burning continued to inform the BS. I did and was told that it was common. My family doctor said the same thing and that I will have to live with that pain for the rest of my life. I insisted that the BS see me. Within a month I found two lumps and so did the the surgeon. I now have a reocurrance and I am waiting to meet with my team of doctors to find out my plan of action. REMEMBER - It is your body. You know it better than anyone one else. You make those doctors listen to you. They work for you!0
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Thank you Fergy, for the additional info and her experience. And to Mary Ellen and Cyborg for sharing.
Jejik, I feel for you. I feel so angry to hear this has happened to anther person.
And Veggy, I know you from other threads, did not know about the way they were putting you off when you knew in your heart.
These medical pros need to learn how to listen and act effectively. Not all are ineffective but the ones who put us off and spread the myth are causing the cancer to become more systemically ingrained.
Readers, please bump this thread so it will be available to more on the forums more often, so many are new and trying to find out. Just write bump in the reply box and submit, done often. Thank you.
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