Muscle in breast?

Dreamcatcherr

I've just seen a training GP, I've mentioned training as where I have noticed a change, a hard area under the skin she said she couldn't feel it. I can only feel it when I am sat up and press gently. She was pressing very hard whilst I was lay down and said she felt nothing. I explained how I can only feel when sat up, so she felt it as I was sitting up, and she said 'oh that's just muscle' she wasn't pressing hard when I was sat up so definitely not the chest wall and she must have felt something to say muscle. I am utterly devastated to have not been taken seriously. I suffer from anxiety and now have a feeling they are just putting it down to me being over cautious as I am on hrt. Please confirm if she would have been able to feel muscle?

Dreamcatcherr

She was only interested in what it felt like when I was lay down with arms raised. She said they check both ways as it must be felt when lay with arms raised for it to be something. That's not right is it? Whatever it is I feel it all the time and it appears to be more noticeable. Why can I feel it but she cant, yet she must have felt something. I also noticed a small lump at 12 o'clock between breast and collarbone, she said that was just tissue. My right side doesn't feel like that, again she felt something as it was 'just' tissue! How can she be so sure?

djmammo

Dreamcatcherr

Remind me, has all your imaging been negative? Was this area you are feeling evident to you at the time of the imaging?

Breast anatomy: https://www.mydr.com.au/womens-health/breasts-inside-womens-breasts

Dreamcatcherr

I've not had any imaging, well apart from an US about 10 months ago of the nipple/areola area. This was a visit to my GP to get a referral to the Breast Clinic. I came away without a referral.

Dreamcatcherr

The small lump between my breast and collarbone she said was just tissue, tissue that isnt evident on my right side. The lump/area near my nipple she said was just muscle? An area that has started to feel thicker, in the lower outer quadrant she literally said she couldn't feel at all. She was so rough with me!

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djmammo

Dreamcatcherr

"...small lump between my breast and collarbone"

How many cm below the collar bone? If you start pressing under the collar bone and work your way to the nipple, do you feel this lump before or after you start to feel the tissue inside your breast? That is, is it in the breast propper or is it more toward the collar bone away from the breast tissue?

Dreamcatcherr

Hi DJ, it is about 6-7cm below my collarbone so closer to the collarbone than to the breast but its below where the armpit starts. Not in the fullest part of the breast, higher than what is shown on the diagram you linked above.

djmammo

Dreamcatcherr

It may not be in the breast. An ultrasound should tell you what and where it is.

Dreamcatcherr

Thank you, I'm going to return and ask for an US. Its actually very painful since I was examined and have pain leading from it down the inside of my upper arm. It's so confusing as I've seen diagrams that show breast tissue up to the collarbone.

I've still got something going on in the breast, next to the areola, whatever that is definitely isn't muscle as she put it. Plus the tiniest of lumps on the edge of my armpit that has been there at least 2-3 months. I will be seeking a second opinion and hopefully a referral to the breast clinic.

Dreamcatcherr

I have been so intrigued as to what it could be if it isn't breast related, I know more about muscular anatomy than I did this morning. Having marked where the lump is and taking a picture I was out with my positioning, though the lump is inline with my nipple I don't actually look anything like the diagrams so it is more towards the outer side of my body. It is in the same place as the inner C on the diagram below, so may still be breast related after all.

djmammo

Dreamcatcherr

"...diagrams that show breast tissue up to the collarbone"

In 30 years I have never seen that to be the case in real life.

Can you point me to one of those diagrams please?

Dreamcatcherr

I think I have mistook a couple of diagrams that highlight the area up to the collarbone, like the one above, taking that as the whole breast area.

This diagram is a bit deceptive, looks like it goes quite high up as if it reaches the collarbone. That was my mistake though!

Found that here https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/types/breast/anatomy-breast

That is why I have been coming back to this forum as I am finding the information on here much more informative and correct. It all gets very confusing! It has made me accurately look at where my lump is thats for sure. Marked up it is 8.5cm from the collarbone and if the initial diagram is correct then inline with level II lymph nodes, if that diagram isn't correct then I'm not sure!

There are websites that say breast tissue extends from/to the collarbone. It is a minefield!

https://nbcf.org.au/about-breast-cancer/diagnosis/breast-cancer-anatomy/

djmammo

Dreamcatcherr

In the picture on the left, the collarbone is seen "on end" in blue at the top of the image

The yellow that's going up that high is fat

The label Lobules is at the very top edge of the glandular breast tissue.

Dreamcatcherr

Thank you, I really appreciate you taking time to educate me.