Terrified of IBC

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bananarangerwife
bananarangerwife Member Posts: 3
edited August 2019 in Not Diagnosed But Worried

I'm a 26 year old woman, 2 months postpartum but not breastfeeding, family history of breast cancer (mother is currently in treatment for 4th recurrence)


For the past 3 weeks I've been experiencing pain, likely in my right breast. The pain started close to the chest wall, shifted to my armpit, and is now back near the chest wall and reverberates through my shoulders blade and back. If I bend over it feels like it's more in the chest wall and back, but if I manipulate my breast I can feel the pain there as well. It's not really a stabbing pain, but more of an ache or throb. No persistent lumps (I had a tender palpable lump in my armpit that's now gone away), thickening, size changes or nipple changes. I'm awaiting a call to schedule my breast ultrasound, but in the meantime I'm terrified that it's breast cancer, especially IBC. I was just wondering if anyone could share their experience with me on the chances of it being cancer. This is causing a great deal of anxiety since my mother was just diagnosed again. Thank you.

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  • Beesie
    Beesie Member Posts: 12,240
    edited August 2019

    I'm sorry about your mother's diagnosis. And sorry you are dealing with this pain.

    Why are you concerned about IBC? It doesn't appear that you have any of the symptoms.

    Just speculating here, but what you describe sounds as though it could be a muscular issue, with the pain sourcing from your shoulders and back. Muscular pain often moves around as you describe. If it's breast related, then perhaps it's an infection.

    You mention that you are scheduling an ultrasound. Have your seen your PCP? Since this pain moves around a lot and covers such a wide area of your chest, back, and shoulders, it might make sense to start with a more general assessment.

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  • bananarangerwife
    bananarangerwife Member Posts: 3
    edited August 2019

    Thank you for your response. The main thing that's scaring me is the pain. it's been 3 weeks now, and everything I've been reading says that breast cancer isn't generally painful unless it's IBC. I think the recency of my mother's diagnosis is also causing me to be concerned and on high alert.


    At my 6 week appointment I mentioned the pain and she did a breast exam and said she'd order an ultrasound.

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  • Beesie
    Beesie Member Posts: 12,240
    edited August 2019

    Most often, breast pain is not breast cancer. Pain is much much more likely to be caused by a fibrocystic condition or an infection. But sometimes breast pain can be breast cancer, and not just IBC. In fact while pain is a symptom of IBC, it's way down the list after redness, swelling, skin changes, the breast enlarging and feeling hot...

    What type of doctor did you see? And did you mention specifically that your breast was painful or did you explain the pain as you did here, that it's moving around and affecting your back and shoulders as well?

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  • bananarangerwife
    bananarangerwife Member Posts: 3
    edited August 2019

    Thankfully I don't have any of those other symptoms, although it is scary that it can be a symptom of non-IBC breast cancer. I'm hoping it's just something related to the postpartum period, even though I'm not breastfeeding.

    The person I saw at my 6 week postpartum checkup was a nurse practitioner. I didn't mention that it reverberates through my back and shoulders. I just said that I've been having breast pain, although when she did the exam and asked me to show her where the pain was, I did say that it's deep in the breast and hard to pinpoint.

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