Breast Cancer Warning Signs

As far as i can remember having breast they've been tender.so ive grown use to the soreness of them until recently i was awaken with a sharp pain in my right breast.i immediately felt for a lump but i could not find one.so i dismissed it.after all im a young woman in my early 20s with no history of cancer so i figured there is nothing to worry about...that is until recently while looking at an article in the newspaper i read the story of a lady who was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer at the age of 36.she had also been awaken to the sharpness of pain going through her breast.i was frightened and immediately went to the er.the doctor did some rubbing around n found a lump but there were no test ran.he dismissed it as thick fatty tissue.i was quite convinced so i went to another hospital.they as well did a little bit of rubbing around but again no test on my breast were done.they used my age as an excuse of there being nothing to worry about.i still feel,however,that something is not right.i experienced this shooting pain once again earlier today but this time it occured n my armpit.i have limited insurance n because of that no obgyn will even take a look at me.im terrified something is gonna be discovered when its to late.Somethings gotta be done.I have a 2yr old son and im just not ready to leave him.i could really really use some helpful advice.what can i do when discriminated against because of my insurance???

katricia givens of FL 2:22AM October 22, 2010

A friend of mine isn't here anymore, so she can't tell you what happened to her. I will tell her story. She had a problem with her right arm; it hurt and was throbbing at times. She had gone in many times because of that pain, and that she was so tired all the time She also had a dimple in her right breast and looked it up on the internet. She went to her doctor and then told him what she had. They staged her at 5 and gave her a year to live. Her oncologist asked her if she had ever injured her breast, and she informed her that she had. She had both breasts removed, and all the lymph nodes, and then received chemo and radiation. I think they were worried because she diagnosed herself, and they had many opptunities to do so but they didn't. That was in November, and she died in April, not from the cancer, but too much radiation. Her lungs were fried. Hopefully, this story will help anyone that believes that doctors are infallible, and that mammagrams are totally accurate. Inflammarory Breast Cancer spreads like crazy. Don't even wait one day. Go in and tell them what is wrong with you.

Linda Smith of WI 12:41PM October 17, 2010

I felt something in my right breast, but my GP said nothing to worry about. All my mamms showed nothing. NO concern expressed by anyone even when I end up in the hospital with the shortness of breath (another sing)...Later on my friends were diagnosed with the BC and while reading the internet about it, I was convinced that I have it. Sure enough, it was the lobular type, stage III...no hard lumps, no other signes, but just enlarged size...and a feeling that something is wrong...

laguna of NJ 1:39PM October 15, 2010

I too had visited a number of doctors over a period of several years, complaining about a mass in my left breast below scar tissue from a previous biopsy (benign), and I knew something was wrong, yet each one told me to look for a lump and there was none. One doctor had my previous surgeon examine my breast thoroughly and he found nothing. I even had a couple of ultra-sounds which detected a grayish area but nothing else. I skipped 2 years of mammogram exams and finally my lymph nodes began hurting. When I had a mammogram and then visited my gynecologist, I was sent for an ultrasound, and even then I was told there was something suspicious but it could not be serious. A biopsy was inconclusive. Finally, surgery revealed the mass, which was removed, and there were satellite lesions surrounding it. I was still told that it must be benign. However, I was later told that it was an aggressive form of breast cancer (HER2-positive) and underwent a mastectomy and lymph node removal (13). If the same mass were discovered to be an aggressive form of cancer, was it benign before becoming active?

I still don't know if the cancer has spread past the lymph nodes, but am in treatment with chemotherapy (six treatments, one every three weeks) and Herceptin (weekly for a year), followed by radiation (5 weekdays) for six weeks, and am happy with my oncologist.

What bothered me was that no one seemed to be in a hurry (it was several months before actual treatment was begun) . I must say that it was comforting to know that I was being thoroughly tested beforehand with up-to-date medical equipment. I still don't know if I am in 3rd or 4th stage cancer.

I do agree with Mary in the above testimony.

Janey of HI 6:02PM October 14, 2010