So scared - male

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David4011
David4011 Member Posts: 18
edited June 2014 in Male Breast Cancer
I'm almost 18 and recently I found a small pea thing under the skin about an inch away from the nipple, with a whitehead, left breast. I got the whitehead off but the pea thing is still under the skin weeks later and it doesnt hurt, its also pretty hard, I've been terrified its cancer and I've gone to 2 doctors, one said it was an ingrown hair and the other said i just needed to stop touching it, itll go away and its not cancer. then yesterday, i saw that a nipple discharge was a cancer sign so i squeezed one of my nipples to see what would happen, sure enough a tiny little bit of clear fluid started to come out in like 3 different spots around the nipple, i freaked out and squeezed the other, same thing... is there something to be worried about??? should i go to a third doctor...? i have been searching around i read sometimes clear fluid can be a hormonething at this age, but im not sure..... im so scared. :O  
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  • counselor1
    counselor1 Member Posts: 7
    edited July 2011

    My husband has male breast cancer. Had he been more proactive when his tumor wa pea sized, he would not be going through the daily challenges he faces. His doctor told him that it was a cyst. He waited for his next yearly physical and it was too late. find a doctor who will bopsy. If it is clear you have peace of mind. If it is not, you will have caught it early. Good luck.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2011
    Absolutely pressure your doctor to biopsy.  Sometimes you have to beat them over the head but don't take no for an answer.  I have more luck with my family doctor being proactive than I do with an oncologist.  Another thought is to contact a breast surgeon for a consult.  They are less likely to dismiss things in my experience.  Do not ignore this.
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  • David4011
    David4011 Member Posts: 18
    edited July 2011

    I'm gonna get an appointment with my actual family doctor set up tomorrow, I'm gonna ask her about a needle biopsy and an ultrasound for sure. will they be able to tell what it is with an ultrasound??

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2011

    The only way to really know is the biopsy - it's not really a big deal.  The hardest part is being perfectly still - not moving.  Don't worry.  With the doctor's appointment, you are on your way.  Just make sure you push for the information you need to get "peace of mind".

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  • Cyborg
    Cyborg Member Posts: 848
    edited July 2011

    David- please follow up and stand up for yourself about getting the biopsy . Are your parents aware? Maybe they can advocate for you as well. Take care.

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  • David4011
    David4011 Member Posts: 18
    edited July 2011

    My mom thinks its rediculous that I think i have breast cancer, but shes taking me to the doctor this week. 

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  • David4011
    David4011 Member Posts: 18
    edited July 2011

    Dunno if this helps but heres a pic I just took. 

    http://cl.ly/2u2N2S29302m3g321D1S 

     as you can see its pretty small... but it goes down about half an inch into my skin and feels rounded, it was a bit bigger a few days ago when i had been squeezing and playing with it a lot for a number of days... it even started pussing at one point a bit kinda like it did the first time when i scrapped the whitehead off.

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  • ithaca
    ithaca Member Posts: 25
    edited July 2011

    David - breast cancer in an 18 year old male would be extremely unlikely, but seeing your family doctor is the right thing to do.

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  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited July 2011

    David, of course you're scared and you have the right to be! We all have been in your shoes. Like someone else said, 18 is pretty young for breast cancer, but last year there was a girl of 10! Don't let the doctors or your mother brush you off. (Your mom would probably be in denial anyway, she'd be so scared!) It does sound like an ingrown hair until you said you had a discharge from the nipple. Many, many ducts come together to make one nipple, so what appears to be one big hole is actually many little holes. That's why it seemed to be coming from different places. I had a bloody discharge from my nipple which they said had nothing to do with my breast cancer. It did make them look closer though.

    Please let us know how you make out. We care!!

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  • 1rarebird
    1rarebird Member Posts: 91
    edited July 2011

    David--I just saw this thread and am happy that you are going to see your doctor about the lesion in your breast. 

    A long time ago when I was almost the same age as you are now,  I had a similar lesion.The doctor who examined my lump stated that it was a "cyst".  He drained it and I didn't think anything more about it  for 45 years. Then a lump developed in the same breast two years ago in the same location as that original cyst.  Unfortunately, this time the lump was cancerous and I have undergone a  lot treatment since then.

    I suspect that your lump, as most do, will turn out to benign in nature and can be easily treated so that your discomfort is remedied. But  I hope you will always be mindful of this experience and keep a watch for any abnormalities that may occur in the future.  They probably won't, but if they do the earlier you detect and see about them, the better your chances will be of successfully preventing something treatable from becoming some much worse.

    Good luck too you--bird

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  • David4011
    David4011 Member Posts: 18
    edited July 2011

    Thanks for the support, I'll post back on friday afternoon after my appointment. 

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  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited July 2011

    We'll be waiting David......

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  • jdootoo
    jdootoo Member Posts: 253
    edited July 2011

    David: I agree with the other posters that you should have this looked at for your own peace of mind. That said, I had Paget's disease, and was told that having a clear discharge is not usually a sign of cancer, and that a discharge would be seen a possibly suspicious if it came from one nipple, not both. Wishing you the best of luck!

    One love, Jackie

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  • David4011
    David4011 Member Posts: 18
    edited July 2011

    I dont think disharge from males is ever supposed to happen. But I've heard it can be a hormone thing at my age, I wouldnt be so worried about the discharge if the thing under my skin wasnt there though...

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  • David4011
    David4011 Member Posts: 18
    edited July 2011

    do breast cancer lumps get a bit bigger and swell up, and pus a bit if touched or squeezed too much? 

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  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited July 2011

    David, you could irritate it, poking and pushing at it, just like you could irritate a pimple on your face. And yes, hormones would and could change it. Think of it for now as a pimple that you would leave alone to see if it heals. Give it a chance to stop draining, too. Let the doc do the draining, you want to leave something in there for him to see!

    A cancer lump wouldn't swell up.

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  • David4011
    David4011 Member Posts: 18
    edited July 2011

    alright this is weird, there seems to the same small lump thing showing up on the other side now as well, but this one hurts a bit when touched... 

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  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited July 2011

    David....stop poking!!!! When is your doctor appointment???

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  • David4011
    David4011 Member Posts: 18
    edited July 2011

    tomorrow morning. could this be a super rare case of double cancer? 

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  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited July 2011

    Nope. It's unheard of for cancer to present in both sides at the same time as two primary cancers. You can certainly get DIFFERENT cancers on both sides, or another kind years later. There are so many different kinds of breast cancers. You are just beginning to learn all that.

    Please let us know what the doctor says!! We care.

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  • David4011
    David4011 Member Posts: 18
    edited July 2011

    She told me its some kinda of node or cyst, not cancer, and its nothing to worry about, after feeling around my chest and nipple and playing with the lumpy thing. i was also told i should come back if it gets bigger without me touching it or anything, and she said it would probably go away in time but it might also possibly just stay there. as for the nipple discharge she says that can be normal if theyre squeezed, i even asked her if it was for males and she said yeah, when squeezed it can happen. i trust her, shes a good doctor so i guess im gonna leave it. thanks for all your support, and m glad theres places like this people cancome to when going through breast cancer. 

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  • mrsnjband
    mrsnjband Member Posts: 1,409
    edited July 2011

    David,

    If you doctor thinks it is okay, that's good.  As the others have stated, stop poking it. If it doesn't go away if a few weeks or months, then I would be sure to talk to your doctor about it again.  We are still here for you if you need it.  NJ 

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  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited July 2011
    SO glad to hear that David!!! How brave of you to have it checked out. Now stop poking it!!! We don't want to see you here again....Wink
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  • justjudie
    justjudie Member Posts: 3,397
    edited July 2011

    Yes, good luck, David. I'm relieved for you too.





    Judie

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  • EricV
    EricV Member Posts: 64
    edited August 2011

    David I hope you are doing well!

    Sorry I missed your post earlier.  However, based on my case, I found a very similar lump (pea sized near my armpit) when I was 25.  I asked and the doctor about and he said the same thing.   I have had 7 or 8 doctors tell me the same thing, just ignore it.  My lump stayed the same size for 10 years, in the meantime, cancer had spread throughout my  body.  I am now 36 with Stage IV Male Breast Cancer.  It wasn't until I saw a surgeon to have it removed that I found out it was breast cancer.  I now also have it in my vertebrae, lungs, and several lymph nodes around my body.

    I am not trying to scare you, or say that your doctor is wrong, I am just sharing my experience with BC.  I would recommend that if you can afford a second opinion by your local Women's clinic who specialize in mammograms, it may be worth it.  You are also the patient, and can also ask to have it removed it fell uncomfortable about it.

    Eric

    Let me know if you have any questions.

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  • Denise2730
    Denise2730 Member Posts: 648
    edited September 2011

    My son, who is 24, has developed a pea sized lump under the nipple. We probably wouldn't give it much thought except for the fact that I am currently being treated for breast cancer. My breast surgeon is seeing him on Sept. 7th.

    Naturally he is a little bit freaked out.

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  • EricV
    EricV Member Posts: 64
    edited September 2011

    Chiluvr: How did the appointment go?

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  • BK12
    BK12 Member Posts: 4
    edited January 2012

    Hi Eric V. Thanks so much for your post in this discussion. I am a 23 yr old who has taken a hormone drug, propeica, for hair loss since I was 15. I recently quit the drug because it has a lot of ugly side-effects, male breast cancer being one of them. I went to two doctors and both told me to ignore the pea sized lump in my armpit. But after reading your post I am going to call tomorrow and have a specialist look at it. 

    So was this lump the cause of your cancer? Does it spread even if there are no physical changes to the lump? 

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