Cancer ?

[dieseldick]

x wife has large lump under arm near breat 4 months now, she only told doc recently, she went tonight to hospitl for scan , she is asian thai and doesnt understand a great deal of english but when i called her to pick her up i asked her what doctors say, she replied she has cancer, told her she doesnt know this and doctors cannot know untill she has a further exan=mination, i read the letter they gave her tonight , she needs further scan and biopsy. the lump is painfull and big.

her mum died of breast cancer as did mine.

what should i do , do i need call doctors and get scan pushed on, no room for anymore waiting around .

advice please. worried here and do not know what to do.

[jourdain2]

Do her doctors know her family history of breast cancer? That's important. If they do then they are taking the appropriate action, if not then they need to be told, quickly.

[jennyjoan]

You need to go with her on her next appointment.

[dieseldick]

i will go in next time, we are seperated 2 years allready . anyway docs are aware of family history.

is there anything i/ she should do now

[hc4361]

Most lumps in the breast in not cancerous. Painful lumps in the breast are very common and usually are not cancerous.

Most lumps in the breast that are cancerous are not painful, nor big.

These days hospitals, doctors and the whole NHS outfit are red hot on this type of cancer and don't dilly dally if there are any warning signs.

Try not to worry and go with her to her next appointment, to act as interpreter and support.

[wolf63]

Has she got access to a female friend or interpreter? When she goes for her biopsy it is important that she knows what is happening - it will help her feel less scared.

[dieseldick]

thanks hc4

ive been reading blooody websites , top sites on google are scaring the *** out of me , i know my own doctor told me never look at the internet for help.

just worried and really panicking at minute. i,ll be on the ball first thing

[ummmm]

My aunt had breast cancer and the lump was not much bigger than a pea.

[hc4361]

Stop blerdy googling and start trusting the doctors.

[hc4361]

That is why breast cancer is so worrying, ummm. The lump is usually tiny or there is no lump at all, sometimes just a puckering or dimpling.

When my wife had a huge lump on her breast we were frightened but our GP was very reassuring and he was right, it was a cyst.

[Postdog]

Doctors won't discuss or act on your say so anyway. You would need to be with her to get beyond that.

[dieseldick]

hard to stop googling and panicking, worrying when u hear this.

uuum was it painfull ?

[ummmm]

hc - they said that she might have missed it if it wasn't for the fact she'd had a boob job! She was in her mid 40's.

She went through chemo and radiotherapy and has now had the all clear

[hc4361]

I am pleased, ummm :) It would of course be better if cancerous lumps were big and painful, they'd be detected much sooner

[ummmm]

DD - The lump wasn't painful, no.

It would certainly make things much easier, hc.

[wolf63]

Diesel - no matter how badly you panic your ex will be panicking more.

Breast cysts are common and painful.

Best wishes to both of, you obviously still care about her so it will be hard for both of you.

[EDDIE51]

If there is any possibility this is cancer she will already be on the highest possible priority so no point 'calling the doctors and getting it pushed on' . It will already be being pushed on. As said this sounds far more like a cyst. Cancer is normally painless in the early stages and the lump is so small you have to feel for it.(wife, daughter and mother in law all had breast cancer scares recently so I know a bit about it, all negative thankfully)

[roopower]

I went to the Dr as I found two lumps in my breast. I was at the hospital two days later and, thank God, told I did not have cancer after the mammogram and I suppose a biopsy. The smaller lump has now disappeared, the larger one, which sounds like the one your wife has, in similar place has grown slightly and is sometimes painful. Dr told me it is a cyst and if it gets too big or painful I can have something done about it. I can't say this is what your wife has, obviously but I think if there had been a serious risk of cancer she would have had further tests straight away - they would not make her wait. I wish her, and you, well.

[Mohne]

Although probably benign ( not cancer) this lump must be treated as though it is malignant( cancer) until proved otherwise by biopsy.

Pain or not in a breast lump is a poor indicator of malignancy.....i.e malignant lumps may be painful.

[dieseldick]

thanks eddies, hope to god your right !

[rsvp]

dieseldick calm down and take a deep breath - of course tou are worrying but running around the internet like a chicken without a head isn't going to help - what will help is for you to make another appointment with your Doctor, take a pen and paper with your questions on because you won't remember everything and it may help to write down the answers - most large, quick growing and painful lumps are not malignant - even in the unlikely event of your wife having cancer, modern treatments are hugely successful and if you ahave to have cancer then breast cancer is the best one to have........this was told to me by my oncologist - I've had it and can understand how you feel. I don't know whether or not there are help lines for people in your situation but if you have to go on the internet about this then use your time looking for help lines and not reading scare stories. All will look a lot different in a while when you have a sensible plan in place.