Really Fast-Growing - Waiting for Biopsy

Magnolia2016
Magnolia2016 Member Posts: 1
edited May 2016 in Waiting for Test Results

I would love to hear from anyone who may have had a really fast-growing and painful tumor. I first felt this around a month ago, and it felt roughly the size of a marble - it just came out of nowhere. I noticed it as I was changing clothes. It has rapidly grown over this month to take up much of my breast (relatively speaking, it feels golfball size, thought it probably isn't really that large). I had a mammo/US on Wednesday and my dr. called me in to tell me that it was suspicious and likely not an abscess (our original thought with the pain and growth - but no fever, warmth, or redness, which would be expected). She also said it didn't feel like an abscess or cyst and was 4 cm, and they were concerned about the rapid growth and pain. I go for a consult with the surgeon tomorrow and I guess he'll schedule the biopsy then. I was also surprised that he called me in for a consult and didn't just go ahead schedule the biopsy. It makes me wonder if he is planning on a surgical biopsy, rather than FNA or core needle.

I know at this point we don't know what we're dealing with, but my dr. seemed quite concerned - it takes a lot to get her quite concerned. I'd just be interested to hear from anyone else whose symptoms started out this way. There's still a small chance it could be an abscess, but I don't really have any current risk factors for one, and signs of infection should have been apparent by now. I guess I'm really just interested in knowing about experiences others have had.

Thanks!

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Comments

  • leaf
    leaf Member Posts: 8,188
    edited May 2016

    I don't have any personal experience, but it is unusual for a breast cancer to be fast growing. Most breast cancers take some 5-10 years to get to a size to be detectable by any means (palpation, imaging, etc.) (Inflammatory breast cancer is unusual, and an exception, but you don't have the typical symptoms for inflammatory breast cancer.)

    Obviously, I can't diagnose you, but it could be a fibroadenoma, which can grow quite large. Large fibroadenomas are more common in younger women, but the largest I've seen in Pubmed was in this abstract in a woman in her 40s: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12751688 (so the adenoma is about 5 pounds.)

    Your doctor could 'just' be concerned about the pain and anxiety you are going through.

    The only way you can normally get diagnosed with breast cancer is by doctors looking at a piece of tissue under the microscope. Breast problems do not always 'behave by the books' - sometimes they don't act the way we expect them to act.

    Hang in there. Your doctors sound like they are getting you in the system fairly rapidly, though I'm sure it seems like its forever.

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  • CJSharma
    CJSharma Member Posts: 464
    edited May 2016

    I won't even make a guess at whether or not the mass is cancerous. I'm thinking of you, though. I did want to mention that my tumor was 5cm+ and I actually met with my surgeon before my oncologist. I had an emergency consult and my surgeon did a fine needle aspiration biospy right in his office. If your lump can be felt easily, your surgeon will probably do something like this. They numbed it and I really did not feel a thing.

    Best wishes to you! I hope it's not cancer!

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  • edwards750
    edwards750 Member Posts: 3,761
    edited May 2016

    Actually leaf I have a friend whose sister had BC that was determined to be fast growing. Mine is not. You are right it's not one size fits all with BC because some women had pain while others did not. I didn't.

    My sister and my mother both felt the lump. I didn't. Of course there are cases when it is just a cyst or the like and not BC.

    I agree her doctor is proactive and that's what the situation calls for. Better to know asap.

    Keep the faith magnolia and keep us posted.

    Diane

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