Breast Clinic Referral

Hi everyone,

I turned 27 years old in July. I went to see my GP in the beginning of June after finding a painful breast lump in the lower quadrant of my left breast during my period. I waited a few days until my period finished to see if it went away but it was still there. The GP said everything else felt completely fine and she either believes the lump to be normal breast tissue or a fibroadenoma but she has to refer anyone with a breast lump. I previously had a breast clinic referral for a lump in the upper quadrant of my right breast in 2018 that turned out to be a fibroadenoma. I found this by chance one day after looking in the mirror. I waited 6 months for that referral as it was marked as routine (I am in Wales) and the GP said there could be a similar wait this time around. So far I have been waiting 3 months. The lump on my lower breast feels different to the previous lump. It is still smooth, round/oval I can’t really tell, firm and I think I can slightly squish it if I push very hard but it doesn’t feel very mobile. I am not even sure if it is a definite lump or if it is swollen breast tissue, all I know is it stands out from the rest of my breast. I can feel it bother standing up, sitting and lying down and it feels different in each position. After I found the lump a week or two after my GP visit I started to believe the lump had reduced and had noticed over the next few months that it sometimes felt smaller/sometimes bigger etc. However, I am due on my period anytime now and I felt my lump lying down and I instantly felt a wave of anxiety run over me. It is still smooth, firm etc but I’m not sure if it feels bigger. I actually felt the lump originally during my period rather than before my period had started so I’m not sure whether it is possibly hormonal and feels larger at the moment as my period hasn’t started. I am in a same sex relationship and my partner (I don’t know how she puts up with my constant health worries, bless her) said it feels the same as when she felt it the last time around in June. It reminds me of a power ball when lying down but it really depends on what angle I feel it.

Sorry for the rambling on, I was just wondering if anyone else has ever experienced similar?

A little update incase anyone reads this that is experiencing similar.

I phoned the breast clinic soon after my original post and was told I had an 8 month wait so I ended up going private. I got hold of the original referral letter from my GP and to my horror discovered that I had been referred as “urgent suspected cancer” although this was rejected by the hospital. Another GP did say the original doctor tried to get me down this route as otherwise there’s a long wait. The referral said I had a pin size mobile but hard lump. However, when I went to the private breast clinic the doctor I was examined by said she can’t feel a single lump just a section of “lumpy glandular tissue” and when I had my ultrasound it only showed normal breast tissue. I feel relieved but also still full of nerves as it has been a stressful few months (especially that week before my private appointment) worrying and I think it will take my sometime to get my head around being able to feel a lump in my breast that is just normal breast tissue.