Breast issues - need some advice

[Melon1]

Hi All

Haven't been on this site for a while as have been feeling pretty positive and healthy. Over the last few years I have had tests from Colonoscopy to MRI, for a variety of diseases that I thought I had. Mainly cancer related. I think my doctors sent me just to put my mind at rest more than anything..

Anyway, the latest saga is as follows: I went to see my doctor as I was getting pain in my chest across both breasts but mainly in the left and around the rib cage. I thought it was muscular due to playing netball (my doc thought so too). Anyway, the doctor decided to give me a breast exam and noticed a lump in my right breast and wanted to refer me to the breast clinic to see a consultant.

So, I wait a few weeks for the appointment and am remarkably calm. This is I think due to a few things. First, I am sure I had the lump at least a year ago and the doctor at the time told me it was nothing. Second, my friend has taught me a good coping method of putting a worry into an imaginary box and leaving it there until you need to face it.... it worked a treat.

I went to see the consultant last Monday, expecting her to say it was fine and she said that she wanted me to go for an ultrasound and mammogram. This really did worry me and it all came flooding out. The sonographer was on holiday this day, so I came back on the Wednesday and had an ultrasound.

I am quite scared about having a mammogram. I have a fear of radiation from x rays etc... too much googling no doubt.... and I know that a mammogram is a significantly larger dose than a normal chest xray of which I have had a few unneccessary ones in the past. I think the fact that I have had what I feel as 'unneccessary tests in the past' worries me that I have exposed myself to high doses of radiation and I was so worried about having a mammogram.

The sonographer who did the ultrasound was lovely and reassured me that everything looked like normal breast tissue. I asked her about 10 times if she was sure and she said nothing is 100% sure, but she was confident. She said that I did not need a mammogram.... At this point I was overjoyed, hugged her and left on a high.

I had a follow up with the consultant yesterday and almost didn't go, but thought I should. I was told that they thought I should still have a mammogram just to be absolutely sure it really is okay.... He said that it is most likely fine and there is a 1% chance that there could be something wrong...

Now I just dont know what to do! I was so happy last week and felt like a huge weight had been lifted, now I am still being advised to have a mammogram.... I googled earlier and one website compared a mammogram to being the equivalent of 1000 chest xrays! I really dont' want to have an unneccessary test, but at the same time, dont' want to miss something serious.

Surely, though if the sonographer who did the ultrasound had even an inkling of a tumour she would have sent me for an ultrasound????

If I have one, I am worried that it will be a false positive (which is quited common) and then I will have to have another mammogram exposing me to even more radiation! I am 39 years old by the way.

I truly do not know what to do..... any advice at all would be sooo welcome..

Thanks xxxxxx

---------- Post added at 11:37 ---------- Previous post was at 10:58 ----------

Please does anyone have any advice for me? What would you do in my position? xxx

[Leah52]

I would have the mammogram, I don't think I could rest until I did. But that's just me, if you feel ok now then maybe you don't need it. However, they might want to do the mammo to get a good view of both breasts, a baseline of sorts, so if you ever have something else come up they know what is normal for you. I'm assuming the ultrasound was just of the area of concern? And if you went in for pain in your breast in the first place then they probably still want to rule out anything that could be causing that.

I have been having pain in left ribcage/around my breast too. I was having my period when they did my exam last week so they want me to come back even though they didn't feel anything. I wish they would do a mammogram so I can relax. :(

[Melon1]

Leah. Thanks so much for replying. Do you mind me asking how old you are? In the UK they don't routinely do mammograms under age of 40 as breast tissue is too dense.

Are you not worried about too much radiation? This seems to be my main obsession at the mo. I know in US, they recommend a Mamo every year after age 40. Here screening starts at 47-50 and is every 3 years. Strange how its so different.

Am awaiting a call from my doctor to get her opinion on all this. Deep down I am convinced I am fine, so worried I will have a scan unnecessarily. But there's always the what ifs and I have a young family and hubby to think about.

Thanks again so much for responding. X

[Leah52]

I'm 32 so they wont do a mammogram unless there is a lump or other concern.

I have scoliosis (spinal curve) and had surgery when I was 13 so I have had so many xrays already I never really think about too much radiation.