Young and Afraid

TikPandora

First off, before I begin to talk about my story I would like to introduce myself.  My name is Jacob, and I am a 21 year old college student from Nebraska.

About a week or so ago, I found a small, round-ish pea-size lump to the left of my left nipple.  It seems to be connected to the skin above, and moves around with the skin whenever I try to move it.  At first it didn't hurt, but it has began to get a bit painful due to the sheer amount of times I have pushed and poked it over the past few days.  I even went as far to put a bandage over it to keep myself from poking and prodding.  I have absolutely no family history of breast cancer.

Now, I know breast cancer in males is rare, and that it is almost unheard of at my age...but I have barely been able to get any sleep over it.  I have absolutely horrid insurance, and can not afford to go to the doctor unless it is absolutely 100% necessary.  What should I do?  I've spent the past week consulting Dr. Google, and that's probably done nothing but make things worse.

blondiex46

Sorry but u should go get it checked by someone.  Hang in there 

Ariom

Hi TikPandora, we can pretty much all relate to the poking and prodding, you speak of:)

Everything you've said is absolutely right, it is highly unlikely that this is breast cancer, but unless you go to the Doctor, you won't know either way. Do yourself a favor and follow through, just for peace of mind.

Let us know how you get on!

Moderators

Hi Jacob, and welcome to Breastcancer.org. So sorry that this change in your breast has you concerned, specially as such young age!

We also encourage you to go get that lump checked but, until then, you may want to check out the main breastcancer.org site for some information on Male Breast Cancer.

We hope this helps, and please keep us posted.

Best wishes,

The Mods

Winnymac

Unless you get it checked, the stress of worrying could cause you other problems. If it is nothing, rejoice and make payment arrangements with your provider. If it is cancer, sounds like you are catching it early and that is super important. My husband waited too long and now is stage IV, I don't want that for anyone else, please check it out.

Linda 

Edited by Mods to remove personally identifiable information and email address.

Bren-2007

Hi Tik,

Sorry you are having to deal with this.  I know it can be really scary.  It would probably be a good idea to see the doctor and get a sonogram or mammogram of the area.  It's so much less stressful when you know what you're dealing with.

Let us know what happens.

hugs,

Bren

steelrose

Hi Jacob,

I hope you will take the good advice here, and have the lump checked out. Chances are excellent that it's benign at your young age! And if not, you will have caught it early and stopped any potential spread. Peace of mind is everything, so please go to the doctor.

Wishing you all the best...

Rose.

justmejanis

Jacob,

I know how scary this is but take some deep breaths.  It could be a harmless cyst, but of course only a doctor can tell you that.  Check with the college to see if someone there can see you.  There is a lot of help available for potential breast cancer patients.  I know that Susan G. Koman foundation offers free mammograms for people who can't pay.  Please check to see what is available in your area.  If a mammogram is recommended don't worry!  It is an excellent diagnostic tool and really pretty painless.  Don't let all this overwhelm you okay?  Please get the medical attention and hopefully you will find it is not related to BC at all.  You won't sleep well or study well until this is behind you.   You will find plenty of information, support and friendship here.  Please keep us posted!

Hugs,

Janis

TikPandora

Thank you all for the replies!

I am either going to have to make an appointment to get it checked out, or get my Zoloft dose upgraded to cope with it, so I might as well just go with the first one.  I will be calling to make an appointment on Monday, so it will probably either be that day or the next.  I'll definitely follow through with what my doctor says.

steelrose

Yay, Jacob! You're making the right decision. I waited to go to the doctor... you do not want to be me! So let us know how it goes... fingers crossed for a big celebration soon.

Rose.

Winnymac

I am so glad you are going to go - prayers that it isn't something serious.

Linda

TikPandora

As a self-proclaimed hypochondriac, it's impossible for me to notice something and just ignore it.  An appointment was inevitable from the start.

TikPandora

Well, I just got done with my appointment, and the doctor didn't seem too concerned about anything.  He sent me to get some bloodwork done, but I'm pretty sure he just did that for my peace of mind.

I'll say, it was weird having my chest all felt up and pushed. :P

steelrose

Good news, Jacob! Did he think it's a cyst or something? If it changes or grows, that's cause for concern but it sounds like it's probably benign. Yay!!!!

I hope your blood work checks out okay, and you can go back to the business of being 21. 

Cheers!

Rose.

Winnymac

Jacob,

That sounds like good news - I am sure you are still a bit nervous and not a bad idea to monitor it but I know when my husband went in, the doctor didn't hesitate to schedule a mammogram and biopsy. Even though he hadn't seen male breast cancer before he was pretty sure what he was looking at. The main thing that convinced him was that the nipple retracted. The tumor had begun to pull the nipple into the breast and that it was definitely attached to the nipple.

I guess now you can cross off being felt up from your bucket list, sorry, my humor is sometimes a bit off.

I pray that you continue to be in good health 

Linda 

TikPandora

Yeah.  I am still of course a bit worried, and will continue to monitor it whatever it is.  There are absolutely no other symptoms though, and he said it just didn't feel or look like something to worried about.  This is coming from a doctor who actually has dealt with two cases of male breast cancer in the past...well...I guess that makes me feel better.

Maybe I can sleep tonight! :O

TikPandora

Just an update!  My bloodwork came back today and it checked out completely normal.  That, in combination with the examination and words of my doctor, have put me at ease.

Thank you all for the support, and for convincing me to go have it checked out!

MusicLover

D., I am a woman and I know you are a man and the likelihood of bc for you is much lower and I know you are young...but I had a lump which was not in my breast, went to my GP (big mistake) and he said it was a lipoma and he sent me for an xray!  I blame him and myself for not demanding a biopsy, I am now stage IV. My doctor told me to leave it alone unless it gets bigger, yeah, I monitored it a bit too long - in my opinion it didn't change for a long time.

  If it is nothing to worry about then what is this lump?, it is something, a fibroadenoma or a lipoma or what?  The only way to know definitively, is to request a biopsy.  I am not a doctor (and I don't even play one on tv) but I learned the hard way that hearing an answer that we like is not enough, some times we need to push a little to be certain before we agree to like the answer.  I am proud of you that you took the initiative to follow through and go to a doctor but please be certain that you are content with his analysis. (and I know that you said that he has dealt with male breast cancer before but cancer can be different, feel different, look different. I wonder what kind of testing those other two guys received? Because I thought that the blood is only effected when it is too late, so to speak.).  And a biopsy is a quick and easy procedure.

PS - I believe that one of the members of KISS had breast cancer, not certain what age.

PPS- I am curious if anyone else on here feels the same way that I do, maybe I am a little paranoid now.

 

steelrose

Musiclover, I think you make an excellent point. A biopsy is the only way to get a definitive answer, and certainly if Jacob isn't completely comfortable with his doctor's opinion, I would recommend this. The fact that the doctor has dealt with male breast cancer before says to me that he has a bit more knowledge than most. So many men are dismissed (my Dad had male breast cancer, so I speak from some experience). Age also factors into this. Because Jacob is so young, the chances are slim that it's cancer and some doctors may blow it off. Again, a biopsy would give the definite answer.

Jacob, you're so wise to go to the doctor as you did! And if you want that biopsy, find someone who will do it for you!

Rose.

 

TikPandora

You both make a great point, but as a hypochondriac I need to do my best to learn to be rational.  Of course there is a chance I could have breast cancer, but I need to take into account that it is so astronomically small.  I trust my doctor's opinion, and all of the factors combined make me satisfied with his examination and put me at ease.

I have convinced myself over the years that I have many different kinds of cancer, and if I would have pursued these all to a definite and conclusive end, then I would be thousands upon thousands of dollars in debt.  Although I am still a bit worried about it, I just need to be rational, and go ahead and enjoy my life instead of constantly worry about every little thing that is wrong with me.

marie345356

hi tikipandora. I was inclined to post a response because I have been and still somewhat am where you are.

I am 18 and female but I have a severe case of hypochondria and GAD and have convinced myself I have several cancers over the years. In the past three months, I've assumed I have had ovarian cancer, lymphoma, spinal meningitis, etc. So I know where you come from. I also know what you mean by saying you need to take a doctors word in order to move on.

However, you have an actual medical anomaly. I am not saying this to scare you, but its different when we get dizzy and say omg brain tumor or have a headache for a few days and assume we have some sort of cancer. If you have a real palpable lump, I agree with the few posters above. You need to get it checked out. Lots of docs aren't so familiar with male breast cancer, so I'm sure not all of them know what to look for. I understand that its hard to trust a docs opinion and the first step to beating hypochondria is to Starr believing them, but you need to remember hypochondriacs can be sick too and eventually, we will probably be right.

I'm not saying I think you have cancer...like you said, the odds are very low. But I'd at least get an ultrasound to see. It will give you an idea very quickly if it worrisome or not.

This is coming from a hypochondriac and someone who recently had a core biopsy done on an assumed (by 3 surgeons and two docs) to be a fibroadenoma. Yes, they said its probably a benign fibroadenoma but biopsy or excision is one of the only ways to be sure. I had the biopsy today and as usual, for three days I was getting my afairs in order, convinced I have some sort of cancer. not even regular cancer (Cuz my lump didn't match that because its been stable for years). Extremely rare and off cancers that have no treatment. Its scary, but soon I'll have total peace of mind.

MelissaDallas

I think if the doctor says you're fine you should believe him.

TikPandora

This lump isn't exactly what one would think.  Actually, I probably was misleading when I called it a 'breast' lump at all.  It's not just attached to the skin, the lump seems to be growing off of the skin.  It barely goes down into the breast tissue, only a few millimeters deep.  It has well defined borders, and is firm and smooth.  It seems to have shrunk a bit as well due to me not poking and prodding it constantly.

I've only had it for about a week and a half, and that is basically a constant week and a half of poking, prodding, rolling and squeezing.  If it's still there in a few weeks, or changes shape, then I'll probably push on further to discover what it is...but with the evidence I have right now, and a thurough examination from my doctor, it seems a little silly to jump the gun at this point.  At least to me.

Beesie

Jacob, good for you for going to the doctor and getting this checked out.  And good for you for listening to your doctor, keeping your fears in check and focusing on what's most likely and not on the needle-in-a-haystack possibilities. I'm sure you will remain diligent and if you notice any concerning changes, you will get them checked out. 

Given that you went to an experienced doctor and are satisfied with your doctor's response, I am appalled that people would post here to suggest that you shouldn't be trusting your doctor. 

Just because someone else waited too long to see a doctor, just because someone else has a bad experience with a doctor, or just because someone else has irrational fears, that's no reason to assume that any of that is true in your case, or anyone else's case.  I honestly can never understand why people think they are being helpful and supportive when it appears that the sole objective of their posts is to relate and transfer their own fears and irrationality onto other people's situations. It happens too often on this board, and I think it's terrible.  Jacob, you should not have to explain why you are satisified with taking your doctor's advice, and you should not have to fight off those who think that you should be insisting on procedures that your doctor does not consider necessary.  Good luck to you! 

marie345356

Tikpandora: I understand what you mean. I have done similar to you, described something as a "lump" or "mass" when it is simply a fat deposit. I have freaked out over similar things many, many times  with hypochondria. I think this may also be a reason why some other posters said go get it checked out. Telling a doc for example I have a "lump" or "protrusion" is entirely different from just a fatty deposit and will instigate different reactions as well. I have done it myself..I have said doctor, I feel a lump. And they tell me its actually just my bone. Go figure..I still don't think anyone intentionally tried to scare you (but I get how this information could have all been terrifying). They just don't want to you to suffer a way that they may have. But you are right, the odds are very low.

Beesie, I just wanted to say I think you're a very helpful and kind person to leave all these responses for all of us and you have provided me and many others with lots of peace of mind or when not applicable, helpful information. But I did not mean to scare him in any way (if you were referring to me). I may be over vigilant as well (which may be caused by the fact that I also have hypochondria). I know how he suffers from this and it seems like everyday, there is a new worry for us hypochondriacs. I also don't think a lot of the people are trying to scare him or transferring their own fears or irrationality. I'm SURE there are people on here who do that I have witnessed it myself and have also been scared by it..but I see that they may just want the poster to be vigilant if they in fact were not at some point. But you are right, there comes a point where being obsessive about something is not helpful anymore (which is where hypochondria comes in) and always assuming we are the rare cases is not good either.

Again, I think the entire reason tikipandora had lots of responses saying check it out further is because a lump in the way he described it at first is different than just a fatty deposit (which is what he described later on). A doc feeling a large breast mass and saying I'm just gonna assume its a benign breast lump may not always be good but a lipoma for example, could easily be diagnosed by a doc just feeling it.

MelissaDallas

Marie, your last paragraph you are again second guessing his doctor.

steelrose

Beesie,

I have the upmost respect for you and your posts... always! I think MusicLover's only point was that a biopsy is the only definitive answer. I'm far from a hypochondriac, which is why I felt the need to add what I did. It would be irresponsible for us NOT to say that a biopsy is the only definitive answer!! However, my personal feeling is that his doctor is correct, and should absolutely be trusted... especially given his experience with other male breast cancer patients.

I'm sorry if I scared you, Jacob! You're an intelligent young man, and can certainly make your own decisions. So happy for your good news. Now go enjoy your life!

Rose.

marie345356

I don't mean to at all. That was worded incorrectly. i am trying to point towards the fact that he said it isn't even a lump like he first described it. I am trying to reference why others may have encouraged him to get it checked out. When we think "lump" we all think different things. Even if it was, it would be totally up to him. We don't know it is exactly, we don't know what he showed his doctor or how it looked, we don't know what his doctor said. I guess what I was trying to say in some way is that everyone on here in some shape or form has experienced a scare for breast cancer right, so others just encourage new people to be vigilant, that's all. Its realizing how vigilant to be before it borders on paranoid or hypochondriac tendencies that is difficult (and I assume is especially difficult for him cuz he does say he suffers from anxiety).

Sorry for any confusion. i really, really don't mean to scare anyone at all or make them paranoid or encourage them into thinking their doctors are incorrect or misinformed. I should probably refrain from giving some advice myself because of the fact that I also suffer from GAD and like I said, may be over vigilant as well. I didn't mean to offend anybody and if that is how it came off, I sincerely apologize. I'm only trying to help.

MelissaDallas

He got it checked out by a doctor who actually has experience with male breast cancer, which is very rare. The doctor told him he was fine. Because people have anxiety or hypochondria does not give a more valid viewpoint. There are a lot of women that come here who in reality are suffering from anxiety conditions, not breast problems and over & over I have seen people goad other people into more & more unnecessary tests until, surprise, they have made themselves sick for weeks, spent thousands of dollars they couldn't afford & SURPRISE have benign conditions, just like they were told originally.

marie345356

melissa, maybe my point isn't getting across or I'm not able to articulate my point properly. I completely agree with you. i don't think my opinion is more valid because I have hypochondria, quite the contrary. That's why I said i should not offer insight into getting checked/not getting checked. I agree with you and that's why I apologized and I apologize again for making anyone think otherwise. 

I'm not in a place to offer suggestions and I apologize for saying anything at all. I more meant to offer my opinion to tell him that I understand it is hard to differentiate what is necessary/what isn't when you have hypochondria. It is something I deal with myself after a period of running to doctors for unnecessary things.

blondiex46

Jacob thanks for coming and keep in touch....so proud of you!!