Breat Cancer Symptons

[China Doll]

Afternoon All,

I'm just after a bit of information. A friend of mine found a lump around her armpit on Friday, (well at least they showed me it Friday evening). It' about the size of a pea and depending on how she moves her arm isn't always obvious. There is some colour around it, sort of looks like there's a bit of a scar and if pressure is applied then it does hurt, otherwise it doesn't (which could be indicative of a cyst or boil something I've said). The breast it's near also has had a change in skin texture (sort of scaley but not really) but she does suffer from dry skin as well.

Obviously my friend will be booking a GP appointment first thing Tuesday but she is (understandably) winding herself up a little bit too. (As you can see from first paragraph I've also been trying to point out there could be a variety of reasons to try and calm her down). I've done a quick search on some of the symptons you know to look for but just for my own peace of mind would there be anything else less obvious to look out for? Like dizziness or that sort of thing?

I'd just like to know as I've already said, my friend is very worried and is now at the stage where any twinge she may have suffered over the last month or so all points to one thing in her mind and I'm just trying to keep her calm until we can get her to GP on Tuesday.

Many Thanks

China

[jno]

call NHS Direct?

http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/

Their link to 'open on May Day' doesn't seem to be working for me but they should be able to advise on symptoms over the phone

[Jillius]

I think the good thing you have mentioned is the fact there is some pain when pressure is applied. This happened to me and I squeezed it really hard and it popped. I was later told that if it was cancer it wouldn't have hurt.
This is only my experience though so she should still get it checked out without a doubt.
Hope she gets good news.

[weeal]

One thing most folk will tell you is that if its sore...its probably not a serious worry but EVERY lump should be checked.
I found a huge 5cm lump a few years ago, it was painful if pressed, my sis urged me for months to go to the doc as it was getting bigger, the doc referred me straight away. I got a fright and was convinced i was going to die as my grandmother died of breast cancer.
Turns out its fibrocystic breast disease and has now spread to both, which might settle down when i eventually go thro the 'change'.
Your friends lump could turn out to be a cysts but must be checked.

[tiggerblue10]

Hi China,

Did you watch Embarrassing Bodies last week? Here is a link:

http://www.channel4embarrassingillnesses.com/c onditions/breast-cancer/

[China Doll]

Thank you all very much. THose were all the sorts of things I was thinking too but sometimes you can talk about something so much that you begin to doubt yourself so I think I needed a little reassurence too. I did try to get her to call NHS Direct but seeing the way she went, I think it's better she talks to someone in person.

She's definitely going to get it checked out, (even if I have to drag her there myself), but she's been complaining of feeling tired all the time and having dizzy spells and nearly blacking out a couple of time over the last month anyway and now she's starting to put those in to the equation when they could be symptons of anything too.

[cuddleMe]

i really not sure what to advise here, but if shes worried she should get it checked out.

but for me i am used to having abnormal lumps and bumps grown all over my body, so when ever i discover one i just leave it, the reason why i leave it its because i kinda expecting it, its part of my condition (neurofibromatosis) although it gets me down 100% of the time im not worried. aslong it is not restircted me from doing stuff.. like driving, walking, seeing or hearing etc then im ok. But wished everything horrible inside me would just disappear so i could have a happier life.

[jno]

probably no connection to dizzy spells - but those need investigation too. You can't go blacking out while driving, for instance, it isn't ladylike.

[China Doll]

Fortunately he doesn't drive or operate heavy machinery jno! (Unless you count cork screws.Mind you, some wine bottles can be tough to get in to!)

The dizziness and tiredness I think are just because she's not been sleeping properly and possibly not breathing properly. I'm pretty sure she's eating ok so it could also be a bit of stress induced breathing difficulties/panic attacks as I know she's woken up a couple of times feeling like she can't breath. She's never actually blacked out, just felt a bit faint I gather.

[cruella]

I can only second what others have said.
It sounds more of an infection in the lymph nodes, or as suggested a cyst or fibroid.
The dizziness she has experienced is probably due to her worrying about this lump.
Her GP will refer her to have tests. It probably is nothing, but best to have it checked out.

[China Doll]

Yeah, I agree.

It's stupid though, as you know I'm not exactly unaware of breast cancer but I've just spent half the day reading about symptons and looking at picture and now I'm starting to worry myself silly about whether her breast changed shape or if that dry patch is dimpling and were her nipples always that colour, when my initial inclinations were exactly that it could be several things! I'm getting as bad as her! I knew there was a reason I told her to stop trying to diagnose herself from the internet!

Mental note - Must calm down</o>

[bimbo123456]

Hi China. Two years ago I went to the docs with a tingling sensation. He said I could have a mammogram "if I wanted" but he didn't consider it urgent. I waited for three months. Then had surgery one month later. doctors do not know everything. I hope that your friend's problem is only a cyst or a spot.

[China Doll]

Oh dear bimbo... I am sorry to hear that. I hope my friend doens't have a quack like that!

[jno]

she should always feel free to ask for a second opinion... perhaps better not tell her so right now, though, as it'll only suggest that whatever her GP tells her is likely to be wrong.

If she is having panicky attacks, though, they need to be checked out too. I have three friends all having them at the moments - all work-related stress (at least I presume so). They all find them scary; I imagine I would too.

[China Doll]

I don't think she needs a second opinon. Just reassuring.

[Eve]

Hello :)

As said above most lumps and such turn out to be harmless.

I went through 2 cancer scares last year finding lumps in my breast.

The clinic I went to for both were fantastic and never had to wait long to be seen and the second time had everything tested and results back on the same day.

All sorts went through my mind, the first time was the worse, especially as the nurses I saw at the doctors wouldn't let me out of the room until they'd got me an appointment for the next day and they put me on the urgent cancer referral list, the second time partly better as I'd been through it before and all was ok but was still scared they'd missed something the first time.

Turned out to be harmless little fibrous lumps.

[China Doll]

Thanks Jenna (hello), I'm sure that's all it is.

[raysparx1]

Hi China, Would not have thought dizziness or anything like in early stages, as you probably know my wife has had breast cancer, and she had no lumps or bumps that I or the doctor could feel, she just said to me, that one breast felt different to her as if the texture of the skin was somehow different, but as I said i could feel or see anything different, luckily the doctor said nobody knows there own body better than the person involved, so she sent her for tests, and it was cancer, the thing is to get it checked, they quite often now don't have to do mastectomy, and the treatments are getteing better by the week, but whatever she must just get it checked out, and if it is the big C, then she must remain 100% positive, and keep smiling, humour will help, but lets hope it is just a cyst that can be cut out and gone, good luck to her China, take care, Ray xx

[China Doll]

Thank you Ray, that's helpful.