Anxious at 20

Anxious20

Recently I have been worried about Breast Cancer. I've had pain in my breasts and small pimple marks on my breasts. They aren't collected in one location but sporatic and don't itch. I also have an insect flesh colored bump on my right breast. It doesn't hurt it just makes me worried because it hasn't left. It might have always been there, I do not know. I just recently started really looking at my breasts so INTENSELY. I went to the doctor and had a breast exam and no outstanding lumps were found in the breasts or under the arms. I know I shouldn't be anxious but I have been. I actually have read many forums on this site as a non member and sadly it's actually escalated my anxiety.

Does anybody else get small little red pimples on their breasts that fade every once a while? Does anyone get flesh colored bumps that seem to be small insect bite that has no effect on any of your other skin? I wanna trust it's not cancerous but doctor google scares me everyday, along with the pain in my breasts that might be stress infused. This started when I discovered an infected pimple under my arm, BUT googled and then thought I might die. It's been like that since then.

Beesie

Small red pimples that come and go on your breast are not cancer. Not a chance. Pimples are pimples. Pimples are not cancer and won't ever turn into cancer.

An infected pimple under your arm? From shaving, probably. It happens. Not particularly unusual.

If reading this site is escalating your anxiety, stop reading this site. At the age of 20, with healthy normal breasts, there is nothing for you on this site. Honestly.

If looking at your breasts intensely is making you see and imagine all sorts of (non-existent) breast problems, then stop looking at your breasts so intensely.

From what you describe, it doesn't appear that you have any health problems with your breasts. Your health problem is your anxiety. That's quite common, and it's best that you try to get control of it before it gets worse. You might want to talk to your doctor about your anxiety. Good luck with that.

Scrafgal

Anxious: Do you have a family history of breast cancer? If so, perhaps that is increasing your anxiety? I agree with Beesie that you likely are fine but you can also see your doctor and hear that message from that person if it makes you feel better. Breast cancer in your 20s is not common but, yes, it happens. The 24 year old point guard for Syracuse just announced her own stage 2 breast cancer.. She found a lump and thank goodness she didn't assume it was a cyst. So, if you find a lump of any kind, it's probably a cyst but get it checked. Don't assume or let a doctor assume that it is a cyst.

Best to you.

Beesie

Scrafgal, she has already seen her doctor, who found no problems with her breasts. She does not have a lump.

The only symptoms she describes are pimples, which absolutely are not cancer. What started her concern was an infected pimple under her arm.

Yes, women who are 20 can get breast cancer, but we are talking a few people a year. It is not uncommon for young women to develop benign lumps - I had a fibroadenoma at 16 and another at 20, and these lumps do need to be checked out. But this young woman has no lump and zero symptoms, except for a few small pimples that come and go on her breasts. PLEASE let's not increase a young woman's anxiety when there is nothing to indicate any problem or even anything that needs to be checked out (given that she has already seen a doctor).

Scrafgal

I understand that it is rare but I am not trying to manage this young woman's anxiety. Not my job. She will need to do that on her own. The story that I mentioned is all over the national media. One can hardly avoid seeing it...and I think it should remind young women not to self-diagnose. It's a lesson to be learned earlier rather than later.

Anxious20

Thank you both. I know Scrafgal, that it is not your job to manage my anxiety. I appreciate you for trying to make me aware of the rare but real occurrence of breast cancer in young women. I have been to my doctor and have been checked as Beesie said. I am trying to manage my anxiety myself and receiving advice from people like you guys have helped me. Beesie you have helped me realize the rarity of the occurrence of BC in people of my age. The only history I have had with it was my great aunts *both over the age of 50 and both cancer free now*. I do agree that the fact that I know about their stories, it has increased my anxiety. Thank you to Scrafgal for the information about this situation that happened. It will help me to manage anxiety but stay aware of my breasts as well. I'm grateful for you both. Please both of you, I hope you have a good day and or night. Thank you for responding to this and for taking the time to read my concern.

Salamandra

Hey Anxious20,

One thing that no one prepared me for about adulthood is that your body keeps freakin' changing. Not just the normal aging things everyone knows about, but stuff that seems weird and random and alarming, yet is completely benign.

The body changes in childhood and puberty are extreme and well known, but it doesn't stop once we have our final growth spurt, not by a long shot. I'm telling you this so that hopefully it helps you have a check on your anxiety. Yep, it never hurts to bring changes and questions to the doctor. But unless they are causing pain or discomfort, it's fair to assume that they're not problems (or just small problems) until proven otherwise.

Another thing that I've noticed for me is that it's very easy to get 'misdirected' about the source of anxiety. Is there other stuff going on in your life right now that's stressing you out, that is maybe difficult to face or acknowledge? Sometimes it can be simpler to point the anxiety at an apparently straightforward physical symptom, and then it gets all out of proportion because it's not actually about that, and the true source of stress goes unaddressed.

Anyway, I'm glad that you got medical feedback that it is not serious! If you have good health coverage, you can take the pimples and skin issues to a dermatologist and they might have a helpful suggestion for you. You can also think about if you've changed detergents, climates, bras, etc, that might be aggravating things.