Lump found

Hi Kutumaini and a very warm welcome to the Macmillan Community but so sorry to hear about your ongoing diagnosis. 

I know from experience having been on my cancer journey for over 26 years (first diagnosed in 1999 at 43) with two very rare, hard to treat types of Non Hodgkin’s Lymphomas (one incurable) then Asbestosis and recently Prostate Cancer that navigating this journey can be such a stressful and challenging time but talking with and getting support from people who have walked or are walking the ‘exact same' journey can help a lot.

The Community is actually divided into dedicated Support Groups (Discussion Rooms) so can I recommend that you look to join and put up your own post in our dedicated…….

   Breast cancer

…….. support group.

This group is a safe place to talk to others with a similar diagnosis, treatment experience, to ask questions and get support.

To connect in with the group please click on the link above……. then once the group page opens you will see a [Black - Click to Join - Banner] at the bottom of the page, click in this box and this will then confirm that you have joined the group.

You can then introduce yourself to the group by putting up your very own post by clicking [+ Create new post] or [+] in the top right of the group page.

You can copy and paste the text from this post into your new post.

As always the Macmillan Support Line is open between 8am-8pm (timings may differ across services) 7 days a week on 0808 808 00 00…… this service provides cancer information, practical information, emotional support, benefits and financial guidance or just a listening ear.

Talking to people ‘face to face’ can be very helpful so do check to see if you have any Local Support in your area, do also check for a local Maggie's Centre as these folks are amazing.

Do get back to me if you need further help navigating the community.

Hi Kutumaini 

A warm welcome to MacMillan’s online community. I am sorry you have been referred to the Breast Clinic. The community is divided into various support forums and I recommend you join our Breast cancer forum   You can do that by clicking on the bold text I have just created. 

I am one of the community champions on the breast cancer forums. I have visited the breast clinic 3 times. The first two visits were referrals from my GP and neither of those turned out to be cancer. The third, a referral from a mammogram was indeed cancer.

The clinics are run by a mix of radiographers and nurses. You are likely to be physically examined, have an ultrasound examination and possibly a mammogram. They may also take one or more samples to send to the lab for analysis. Sometimes they put a small clip marker in at the site of the biopsy so they can find it again in future. You will also get time to talk to a nurse. In my experience they are very skilled at what they are looking at and will tell you on the day whether they think it is cancer or not. I was fairly quickly reassured on my first visit. In my second I was reassured but they took a biopsy to confirm, and it wasn’t cancer. The third time they were very clear they were looking at cancer. 

If they have taken biopsies, they will either give you a date for a follow up appointment or tell you how that will be arranged. If you do have cancer, the biopsy gives them information in the grade of cancer and if it has receptors for any, all or none of oestrogen, progesterone and human growth hormone. These things determine the treatment plan. 

If you want to know more about the types of breast cancer and their treatment (it’s not a single disease) then if you click on the green tab at the top of the page where it says cancer information and support, you can find everything you need. If you are using a phone you will need to turn it round to landscape to see the tab. Please beware of general browsing on the internet. There’s a lot of misinformation out there. Please stick to reputable sites like the various cancer charities and the NHS.

Not all lumps are cancer, but even if it is, most people with breast cancer are treated and have a good outcome. Wishing you all the best. 

Thank you so much for your help, I am pleased to hear that you are in remission

Thank you for your reply and guidance, I have found it very helpful. I have now joined the breast cancer group. 

Thanks. Mine has been a complicated journey as it had formed next to a blood vessel, invaded it and spread to my liver before I had a palpable lump. Not a usual scenario! 

Great and well done getting your post up in the BC group….. I am sure that you will find the group members very helpful and supportive.

I do hope that you get clear answers very soon