Was your breast lump painful?
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I had two big lumps. They were not painful at all. But that's me. Doesn't mean that other's lumps aren't painful.
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Yes, my lump was painful. I too was under the impression that cancer did not hurt. It not only hurt but it was itchy and red which made me think that it was a cyst. Not until I saw a lump under my arm that I became alarmed and ran to the doctor. I needed a mastectomy, chemo and radiation. Happy to report ALL of my team from Lankenau Hospital were wonderful. Thank you Dr. Hutchison, Dr. Sabol, Dr. Weiss and Dr. Ali!
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Yes, my lump was/is painful. Discovered it getting undressed one night and it was hard - shocked! Then it became painful, inflamed lymph glands. Went to doctor and now in chemo.
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Mine would hurt before my period.
Sinfullyd - please get the mammogram. Actually, I'd get a biopsy if I were you.
I was 39 when I first found the lump. The doctor said not to worry because the lump could move around. She said I had fibrocystic breasts. She said that because I was concerned enough to go in, that I should have a mammogram. I skipped it because I wasn't worried - my partner was. I always had lumpy breasts, and the doctor didn't think it was anything serious.
Fast forward to today (two years later). The lump that could "move around" was a 4.2 cm tumor. It's gone, as well as two lymph nodes. My Oncologist is pushing chemo, rads, and hormone therapy.
You think something is wrong. Follow that gut feeling, and get it checked out. Luckies to you.
Edited: It was actually 4.2 cm, not 4.6. Initially, they thought it was only 3.6 cm.
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I have one on my left breast on the side under my arm. Also have one maybe 2 on my right breast on the top inner side. Also on the left side I have a lump that keeps coming up and going back down again under my armpit. Sometimes it is tender but not always. Doc said it does sometimes appear and disappear. And under my right collarbone I have a lump. So yes it seems I am very lumpy lol
The lump in the left breast very rarely causes any pain but the one in the right breast causes pain and discomfort most days, sometimes just stabbing pains, other times its a constant aching feeling.
It's been a week since I saw my breast clinic and now I keep thinking maybe it's nothing after all and I should just forget about it (not easy) and then other times I think I should go and get a second opinion. I have a lot of info regarding ultrasounds missing early cancer but what I can't understand is why the scan didn't detect anything if they can be easily felt by me and the various docs I've seen? Can anyone offer advice on that?0 -
I think Drs and all medical people should be retrained to know that breast cancer CAN hurt! Otherwise more people will not be diagnosed properly which is scarey.
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It is very scary to read how many people were told they had cysts or other benign lumps due to the fact that they had pain when in fact they had cancer. Doctors just don't keep up with the times.
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I was having stabbing pain in my breast but I wrote it off as PMS related. A few weeks later, the pain persisted and one day, as I was wrapping my hair in a towel after a shower, I saw the shadows of the lump in the mirror. Mine was painful and my Gyno said it probably wasn't cancer because cancer doesn't hurt. I'm here to tell ya, mine did.
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I think we should start a worldwide list of people whose BC DID hurt and then send it to doctors as I believe the proportion is a lot higher than we think
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Hi! I've been lurking around for some months now. I first found your website when I found lumps had mammo had biopsy took a week to get results ugh! Benign. So here we are 4 months later and the same breast I had biopsy w clip is extremely sore like hard to lay on right side. A little history I'm 43 and have a history of lumpy boobies:) I've had a biopsy w a clp before. I called my ob today and they want me in tom at 2. I'm a bit nervous.... Was just looking for some answers from people who know. Could it be possible that something cancerous could turn up or that they missed something?? Thank you ladies for all your strength and knowledge. Reading all your stories learning so much. You all are heroes to all of us women. I hope that doesn't sound dramatic but instead sincere:) Lisa
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Lisa, cancer can be painful but it is not the most likely reason. Most breast pain is hormonal or fibrocystic condition which it sounds like you have with lumpy breasts & benign biopsies.
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YES! I found the lump (about a month ago). It was tender, sensitive when touched. Two days later it was painful & I was getting stabbing sharp breast pains. This has continued.
The few women I mentioned this too felt it couldn't be BC because of the pain.
It is cancer & I will be having surgery next week. And it still hurts.
Lyn
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Ladies, I'm scared.
I am 30 years old and 4 years out from my second of two bone marrow transplants for AML (leukemia). As a result of that experience, I am now up to 11x more likely to develop a secondary malignancy, as my case checks *all* of the boxes for risk factors (allo transplant, chronic GvHD, long-term immunosuppression -- am still immunosuppressed for the GvHD -- total body irradiation, tons of high-toxicity chemo, perimenopausal).
A few weeks ago...I became very "aware" of my right breast and armpit. I can't put it better than that. Can anyone else relate to that? Felt around, noted some pain on my ribs below my breast, and some on my sternum, but nothing else. Kind of assumed it was rib inflammation since it hurt to press on. Then I woke up with a stiff neck and what felt like a golf ball under my right shoulder blade. Went right to the chiropractor, who didn't note anything weird in my back (or just didn't mention it), adjusted me and the rib pain went away but the breast-awareness sensation and shoulder pain didn't. Had a massage the next day, another chiro session the following week, pain in shoulder persisted and pain in breast felt more widespread. The breast looks totally normal but kind of stings to pick up and definitely aches, even more than it did. Some shooting nipple pain. I noted a lump at the 6 oclock position when I really pressed around. It feels like the size of...a shooter marble. The bigger kind of marble, maybe a little bit smaller. No itching, no B symptoms. Usual CBC, LFT and calcium levels normal. No real symptoms other than this right-sided pain in my ribs, breast, armpit (tender) and shoulder...and a dry cough, scant, if I'm honest. More an urge to cough than a cough.
I have been seeing a blood cancer doctor who now says he can't help me with this kind of stuff -- have my first appt with a new PCP tomorrow, asked nicely for a chest xray (given everything) and I'm glad she agreed to go for it -- will have the scan by the time I'm in her office.
So many resources say breast cancer isn't painful -- I am terrified because there isn't much else it could be, right? Would something benign cause such specific shoulder and breast pain? If I had to describe I'd say it felt like there's something behind my breast and shoulder blade, either radiating from the breast or from the back. I've pored through this message board and relate to so many of the symptoms you all have reported. Does anyone else have the same sort of background/health history as me? Anyone else immunocompromised at diagnosis? I promise to update you all after tomorrow's appt, either way. I wanted to share my story, in the event it *is* something and someone else can relate, etc, and gets to the doctor (and/or sees that the symptoms I had turned out to be nothing, even with my history).
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ladyjules: First let me say I am so sorry to hear all that you have been through. Cancer sucks and I am sorry you had to deal with it at a much younger age then me. I was 35 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I am 4 months post chemo and feel great now!!
Let me tell you about my lump. Yes it was painful and it shot burning stinging pain through my breast. My lump hurt to touch it so everyone told me it was benign because cancer doesn't hurt. Well, that response wasn't good enough for me so I pushed to get a biopsy and thank god I did since it was cancer.
I had a lot of rib pain 4 years before I developed a lump. My rib cage hurt to touch and it felt bruised when I touched it. I thought something was wrong because I had pain in my rib cage, back and shoulders. I ended up getting diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I was exhausted and in pain a lot. I ended up getting pregnant with my 2nd child and the symptoms went away. I was still breast feeding when I found my painful lump. I am not saying that your lump is cancer because 80% of lumps are benign. But don't brush it off just because doctors say cancer doesn't hurt. If I would've listened to them and let it go, I would have been living with an aggressive cancer growing inside me. Please let me know what you hear tomorrow. Please PM me with any questions!!0 -
lmcclure447: did you have bone mets with that kind of pain and for that long? were you stage IV?
I've only been experiencing my pain for a handful of weeks (though tension behind that shoulder blade would come and go, for sure -- I carry my stress in my upper back) -- I am most nervous about not only it being cancer, but metastatic -- my body, whether I feel it day to day, is still weakened and I just want to live a long and healthy life. I feel as tho if it's metastatic I could be royally screwed. I just dont know how fast it all moves, could I already have bone mets without other symptoms until recently? I am seriously crossing my fingers over here. Does anything I've described sound "early"? I guess it's like asking "how long is the string" when it comes to things like this -- depends on the string.
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No I didn't have bone mets. I am actually stage 1A with no lymph node involvement. Although I never had a PET or CAT scan because my lump was small. I think my pain was from 2 different things. The painful lump and shooting and stinging pain in my breast was from the cancer, but the rib pain and sore back and shoulders was from fibromyalgia. So you could possibly have fibromyalgia with the symptoms you have. Did you get your lump checked? I would demand an ultrasound and mammogram if you have a lump.
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My appt is at 1:30EST. My doctors are hesitant to do more than chest xray at this point due to exposure to more radiation (which I do not need, with my history). I think ultrasound will be next step, I would imagine so at least.
I feel utterly underinformed with this stuff --my doctors never reminded me to get to the gyn for annuals while following up for leukemia (which was so distracting -- and so I haven't had a breast exam since 2008), nobody told me of my higher risk of secondary malignancies (I had to find out on my own) and nobody told me what to watch for; to know when something is serious vs. just being immunosuppressed-achy or rundown. So frustrating. I'm sure I've sat on symptoms for other things for awhile, knowing my doc would give me the wary eye -- and so I havent wanted to run to the doc for every little thing. Today's appt is important, tho, and at least a chest xray will give a little insight as to what is going on. Not even really nervous today tho, because one thing I know above all things is that worrying about cancer is way worse than actually having it.
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How did your appt go? I am hoping you got some answers. I also ended up at the dr today. Had anxiety that the cancer returned. I got pain under my ribs and thought it could be my liver. Turns out it is just a muscle. It is not in the same place as my liver and liver did not appear inflamed. When will this anxiety go away!!
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@lmcclure4477: The anxiety never goes away. It's a PTSD. As soon as I manage these symptoms; get a diagnosis, etc I need to get some help with mine. Cancer is terrifying. Hang in there. xx
My appt was good. Female PCP totally awesome and down-to earth, is taking my case rightfully seriously. Normal chest Xray, ultrasound scheduled for Friday. After hours the Dr emailed me saying she had done some outside research and, with my history, wondered how I felt about getting a mammogram too. My first -- lucky me, I get to have it with hurty pre-period boobs AND this R-sided pain. Thought it was very reassuring to hear from my Doc after hours and know she was thinking about what else this could be and how to get answers for me, fast.
Did you (any of you) experience sudden breast pain with your cancerous lump(s)? My pain just sort of..began one day. I noticed immediately and started feeling around for lumps then. It just hasn't let up for a few weeks now. Did you have that pain and still wait on it? Trying to convince myself this is a benign condition -- I remember my leukemia symptoms just...crept up. I know this is different, but...
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I am glad your dr is taking you seriously and that u will be getting an ultrasound on Friday. Please let me know how it goes. My breast pain just appeared one day and so did my lump. It came out of nowhere. My lump was tender to the touch. I didn't really have shooting pains when I had the lump. My shooting pains were from my fibromyalgia and I am getting them now from nerve damage from my masectomy. I think your shooting pains could be from something else but again it is best to get checked. One thing I learned is to never brush off a symptom and to get it checked right away!
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lmcclure4477 (and everyone else!): I have a cyst the size of a walnut. But all appears benign. I've been referred to a high risk breast clinic within the hospital for yearly MRI screenings. I am relieved, but know that nothing is 100% and will follow up if pain continues.
I wish all of you excellent luck, responsive medical staff and happy, healthy lives. xx
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ladyjules: That is great news!! Ask them to drain it for you, that way it can relieve any pain and give you a sense of relief! Good luck to you and I will pray you live a long and healthy life!!!
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I was told the same thing by my regular Doctor. " Good thing it hurts, cancer doesn't hurt".. NOT!!! After the mammogram , ultra sound and fine-needle aspiration, I was told I had cancer.. This was almost 2 months ago. My surgery date is Oct 22.. I'm still in shock, I'm scared to death.. and I keep getting these results that seems to get worse.. Triple negative.. High Grade.. I finally stopped reading about it.. My hair was getting greyer by the minute...lol...
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Hi Rjwnyoa, and welcome to Breastcancer.org, although we're sorry you've had to find this great community.
You might also want to connect with the members in the Triple Negative forum, and the October 2013 Surgery thread is a good place to talk with others who are just where you are in treatment.
• The Mods
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My lump was very painful. It was at the bra line at the bottom of my left boob, and I seemed to find it immediately. I thought I had hurt myself lifting rocks in the yard. I found it in late May, and was diagnosed in June. Prior to surgery I was unable to lift my arm it hurt so bad. Had lumpectomy July.
My sister is a 37 year survivor. She found her lump too, way back then, and hers was also painful. Some people say "if it hurts it's not cancer" ... that is NOT TRUE! I guess the good news is that if it hurts you notice it right away and can get it checked out.0 -
I too had a painful lump. Since I had just moved and since I was always told that breast cancer doesn't hurt, I thought I must have bruised myself in my move-I felt a lump and pain to the touch. After all, breast cancer is not supposed to hurt. But, when the pain didn't go away, I went to my radiologist who told me I had an advanced and aggressive breast cancer. I now tell everyone that breast cancer CAN hurt and anytime you feel something in your breast run to the Dr-do not wait!
Babs0 -
My lump was painful. I discovered it myself because of the pain. I never had a mammo before so went right away. The calcifications were very visible and the radiologist showed me the lump right there.0 -
Hi, I had pain. Along with my lump I had pain. When I hug someone ,when I workout it Hurts! I knew it wasn't ok. Diagnosed on Dec. 17, 2013 with invasive ductual carcinoma grade 2...(felt my lump in July 2013 and the pain started in September 2013) I say cancer does hurt!!!!! They need to stop saying "if it hurts it's not cancer". My dad's a nurse and he told me that ,I wanted to slap him then and I want to slap him now. lol! Nevertheless, I wish you all the BEST!!
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My lump was painful too. And I heard the same thing too: cancer doesn't hurt.
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its time this potentially dangerous myth was stopped, medical schools should educate doctors about this
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