I feel it, Dr feels it, but mammogram and ultrasound are clear.

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thoss
thoss Member Posts: 3
edited March 2015 in Benign Breast Conditions

Hello all,

I am 38 years old and I found a "lump" in my left breast almost two months ago. I saw my family doctor immediately who booked me for a mammogram and an ultrasound. What it feels like: seems round (defined borders), very hard, flat, smooth, stuck to the tissue it's on, deep in the breast (in the aureola) at 1pm, no bigger than a lentil. No pain. No changes of any sort to the breast. There is no history of breast cancer in my family. I do not have any children, but have been pregnant once. No birth control pills ever taken. No hormonal therapy etc. My periods have always been regular.

The mammogram and ultrasound were both clear and no calcifications or changes were detected in the surrounding tissues. My family doctor still wants to be sure and has scheduled me to see a surgeon this Tuesday.

Needless to say, I am worried! I would so appreciate your thoughts or any shared experiences with this type of lump.

Thank you!


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  • ANG1587
    ANG1587 Member Posts: 32
    edited March 2015

    Sorry you're having to worry about this, I know how frustrating this is. I'm dealing with the same issue. I'm 27 and still lactating (I have an almost 2 year old). I have a large lump in my right breast, high up where the breast meets the chest at 1 oclock. PCP sent me for ultrasound which showed nothing. Saw my gyn for my annual a week later, didn't like the fact that I have a palpable lump that's not seen on imaging so she sent me to a breast surgeon. she sent me for an MRI and mammo which were pretty useless. She said my mammo was pure white (extremely dense breasts) and my mri was completely lit up from breast feeding. So pretty much everything is inconclusive. I thought she'd recommend just keeping an eye on it but instead she wants to do an excisional biopsy which is schedule for next thursday.

    Your surgeon may recommend the same, mri, or she may go ahead with a biopsy. It could very well be a normal ridge of tissue. It's so hard to come to a conclusion when there is no imaging to go off of and I'm thankful my surgeon is taking this seriously, despite my young age.

    For now, I'm trying to keep calm by reasoning that it's probably a good sign that it's not showing on imaging, however, seeing the surgeon is definitely the next right step.

    are you seeing a breast surgeron or general surgeon?

    The waiting for appointments and scans is not easy!

    I'm hoping your surgeon takes initiative and you get to the bottom of this so you can put it behind you. Odds are we are BOTH okay but it's important that we follow up and take charge of our health.

    my thoughts are with you and I hope you can reach peace of mind sooner rather than later! Good luck with your appointment and here's hoping for some more answers :)

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  • ANG1587
    ANG1587 Member Posts: 32
    edited March 2015

    Oh I meant to add, my lump is kind of "flat" too. Sound weird describing a lump as flat but it is! My doctor, when writing out the Rx for the mri actually reffered it to a "mass/thickening." Mine has borders as well and seems fixed to the tissue around it (I.e it doesn't move).

    Thought I'd add that since you asked about experience with the same type of lump.

    Hoping your investigation of the lump goes quicker than mine. I had a not so cooperative PCP (really it was the front desk who sat on my refferals) and all the appointments and scans and follow ups in between which has gone on for about two months now.

    Keep us updated :)

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  • Susug
    Susug Member Posts: 193
    edited March 2015

    Hello Thoss, I found a lump in areola went to my MD he sent me in for mamo and us. It didn't show up on imaging. MD sent me to surgeon. He could feel it so he said he thinks if you can feel it take it out thats the only way you will know what it is. He thought mine would be benign. To his surprise the path found a 4mm (very small) CANCER What we felt was swelling he sad prob due to the cancer. He said it would have eventualy shown up later but more advanced. The chances are on you side it is prob benign BUT YOU WONT KNOW UNLESS you take it out and let pathogy look at it. It's you body do what feels right for you to have peace of mind. Let us know how it turns out. Susu

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  • thoss
    thoss Member Posts: 3
    edited March 2015

    Hi ANG1587,

    Thank you SO much for your reply! To answer your question: I will be seeing a breast surgeon. The thing that worries me the most is the fact that it doesn't move (and trust me I have been obssessively feeling it often enough to know that it is, in fact, "stuck" to/on the tissue). I have been googling the topic (although I know i shouldn't) and I came across a website in which a breast surgeon stated something to the effect of: "we are able to see changes to the breast way before a mass is palpable". This gives me an iota of peace.

    I will definitely keep you updated and please do the same. In the meantime, I wish you ALL the best of luck!

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  • thoss
    thoss Member Posts: 3
    edited March 2015

    Hi Susu,

    Thank you for sharing! I will keep you posted. Question: was there a history of bc in your family at all (although I know that this is somewhat irrelevant)?

    All the best!


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  • sugartoes
    sugartoes Member Posts: 39
    edited March 2015

    I found a lump when I was 18 and it was the size of a quarter. At 22, I had an excisional biopsy and it was nothing, a fatty cyst. At age 27, I had another bump and this time, they tried draining it, but it was considered fatty and so an excisional biopsy was done and again, considered fatty cyst/tumor. Over the next 10 years, I had 3 more lumps, but these were able to be drained, not considered fatty, and the drained specimens were sent to the pathologist and again, cancer free. One lump/bump was the literally the size of a golf ball which the bump protruded out. I was told I have extremely dense breast tissue which mammograms usually do not show up anything which an ultrasound is immediately done. Ultrasounds can usually tell if there is a solid mass. So I had an MRI performed which was always questionable; nothing conclusive. Over the years, I developed HUNDREDS of fatty and liquid containing lumps and bumps. So, doing a self breast exam was completely useless for me. I faithfully had mammograms every 1 to 1-1/2 years for about 20 years and then by the time I turned 50, hormones changing, I had a mammogram and this particular mammo showed microcalcifications in clusters in BOTH breasts. Ultrasound immediately following showed no lump/mass/tumor where the calcifications were on mammo. Just hundreds of liquid and fatty cysts. I had a double breast biopsy which showed I had DCIS in both breasts with left side microinvasion, but no mass/lump/tumor, but hundreds of fatty and liquid cysts. Basically over the years, all my mammos and ultrasounds were compared to previous studies done and if radiologists see drastic changes, then you will be told a biopsy will need to be performed or further testing such as MRIs.

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  • Susug
    Susug Member Posts: 193
    edited March 2015

    yes my twin sister had it 13 years ago. Hers was more aggressive than mine and it was In a couple of lymph nodes. Hers was seen on mamo she wasn't getting regular mamos. That's why I think it's important to take it out so if it is something you have a jump start. Some doctors will say to wait a few months and see if it changes. If you have been reading post on this site there are many women who were told to wait and later found about 6 months later it was cancer. My thoughts are with you.Sus

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