HopeI'mWrong:P
05-01-22, 14:04
TL;DR: I have had 3 breast ultrasounds this year and an ultrasound on my neck lymph nodes. All clear (except benign lump proven by biopsy) but I'm still worried that the breast thickening (separate to the lump) is a type of breast cancer that's difficult to detect by ultrasound, and that the lymph nodes are swollen because the cancer has spread there.
Hi. I have had thickening in my left breast for quite a while now (a couple of years). It's the upper left, near my armpit. I then noticed my lymph nodes in the same armpit were swollen. I had 2 breast ultrasounds (one private, one NHS) and they both said everything looked normal and that the lymph nodes looked reactive (I had the Pfizer vaccine a couple of months prior).
A few months later, I noticed the lymph nodes on the left side of my neck were swollen and, most worryingly, I had a palpable node about my left collarbone. I was referred for a neck ultrasound and the radiologist said everything looked ok, including the collarbone lymph node. No biopsies were taken though. I was relieved and thought perhaps they were reacting to the flu vaccine I had 8 weeks prior.
2 months ago, I noticed a lump in my left breast. Went to the breast clinic again a month ago and an ultrasound showed a solid lump (not a cyst) which needed a biopsy. He had a quick scan of my under arm lymph nodes and said "I could see one but it looked normal". The biopsy came back as a benign fibroadenoma.
I was feeling much better. However, I have now noticed that my under arm lymph node is back up and bigger than ever. It's hard but moveable. Also, the lymph node above my collarbone is still there and hasn't gone down (it's possibly slightly bigger but I'm not sure).
I am worried in case the thickening is lobular breast cancer, which is apparently difficult to detect using ultrasound. I'm very scared that it has spread to my lymph nodes and that's the reason I can feel them now.
I'm trying to be logical. The chances of getting breast cancer at my age are 31 per 100,000 per year. Around 15% of those are lobular carcinoma, so that makes it about 5 per 100,000. Then, going off numerous studies, about 13% of those will be undetectable by ultrasound, so that brings it to about 0.7 per 100,000 per year. This means at my age I have a 0.0007% chance per year of having lobular carcinoma which will be undetectable by ultrasound. But I'm still scared.
I tell myself it's unlikely but then I can't unread all of the posts by women with my symptoms who have said they were told everything was fine after multiple ultrasounds only to be diagnosed with lobular carcinoma after finally receiveing a breast MRI (the most accurate way of detecting it). Should I request an MRI or a biopsy of the area? Or should I try to let it go? I can't tell if it's my anxiety or if I should actually push for further tests.
If you read all of that then thanks. Sorry for waffling.
Hi. I have had thickening in my left breast for quite a while now (a couple of years). It's the upper left, near my armpit. I then noticed my lymph nodes in the same armpit were swollen. I had 2 breast ultrasounds (one private, one NHS) and they both said everything looked normal and that the lymph nodes looked reactive (I had the Pfizer vaccine a couple of months prior).
A few months later, I noticed the lymph nodes on the left side of my neck were swollen and, most worryingly, I had a palpable node about my left collarbone. I was referred for a neck ultrasound and the radiologist said everything looked ok, including the collarbone lymph node. No biopsies were taken though. I was relieved and thought perhaps they were reacting to the flu vaccine I had 8 weeks prior.
2 months ago, I noticed a lump in my left breast. Went to the breast clinic again a month ago and an ultrasound showed a solid lump (not a cyst) which needed a biopsy. He had a quick scan of my under arm lymph nodes and said "I could see one but it looked normal". The biopsy came back as a benign fibroadenoma.
I was feeling much better. However, I have now noticed that my under arm lymph node is back up and bigger than ever. It's hard but moveable. Also, the lymph node above my collarbone is still there and hasn't gone down (it's possibly slightly bigger but I'm not sure).
I am worried in case the thickening is lobular breast cancer, which is apparently difficult to detect using ultrasound. I'm very scared that it has spread to my lymph nodes and that's the reason I can feel them now.
I'm trying to be logical. The chances of getting breast cancer at my age are 31 per 100,000 per year. Around 15% of those are lobular carcinoma, so that makes it about 5 per 100,000. Then, going off numerous studies, about 13% of those will be undetectable by ultrasound, so that brings it to about 0.7 per 100,000 per year. This means at my age I have a 0.0007% chance per year of having lobular carcinoma which will be undetectable by ultrasound. But I'm still scared.
I tell myself it's unlikely but then I can't unread all of the posts by women with my symptoms who have said they were told everything was fine after multiple ultrasounds only to be diagnosed with lobular carcinoma after finally receiveing a breast MRI (the most accurate way of detecting it). Should I request an MRI or a biopsy of the area? Or should I try to let it go? I can't tell if it's my anxiety or if I should actually push for further tests.
If you read all of that then thanks. Sorry for waffling.