Another Lump In The Road...

To the untrained eye, I might even come across as a picture of calmness (my friend Charlotte calls me a swan), displaying optimism and positivity as I go about my business. However let me get this completely clear, the anxiety is fucking real!

Any little ache, pain, tingle, numbness, fatigue, brain-fog, dizziness, headache, even just regular menopause muscle or joint pain and BOOM, I quite literally can not control which direction my stream of thoughts decide to spill out and flow to. You think you're in control and you can master the content creation that goes on in your head, that you can block out and pack away any un-called-for pessimistic scenarios that your stupid cynical mind might conjure together… but seemingly not.

So just in an effort to re-assure myself while I sit tight and wait two whole weeks for my OPA (out patients appointment), let me focus on all the possible reasons for why I might have a new round lump under my armpit, on the side of my right breast.

New lump found 21st March 2023, just below a lymph node removal scar (from 2013).

Things it could be:

Fat Necrosis

I have previously had lots of Fat Necrosis lumps and they have all disappeared on their own. Although normally I have found them on the top of my breast, not right up next to my armpit, but hopefully this will be another fat necrosis lump.

Scar Tissue

Let's be real, the anatomy of this misbehaving boob has been cut up, rearranged and blasted with radiation more times than I care to remember. There is every possibility what I am feeling/ seeing now could be a build up of scar tissue.

Swollen Lymph Gland

It could be a swollen lymph node caused by an infection or bacteria, these sometimes pop up when you are just generally feeling rundown. Apparently, most people have around 20–30 axillary (armpit) lymph nodes on each side, although I have no idea how many I have now, as a random selection of the little beans were removed for testing after my first cancer diagnosis back in 2013. But there is a chance it could be one of them playing up. ​

To be fair, there are plenty of other possible causes of non-cancerous breast lumps (AKA benign lumps). The most common being cysts, blocked milk-ducts, fibroadenomas, fat necrosis, and sclerosing adenosis.

Here is some he.lpful information I found online about benign lumps

Abscesses

​A breast abscess is a pocket of pus that causes inflammation and a sore lump in the breast. Other symptoms include fever, and tiredness.

Cysts

A cyst is a fluid-filled sac that develops in the breast tissue. They most often happen in women between the ages of 35 and 50 and are common in those nearing menopause. The cysts often enlarge and become sore just before your period. They may seem to appear overnight. Cysts are rarely cancerous (malignant) and may be caused by blocked breast glands. They can either feel soft or hard. When close to the surface of the breast, cysts can feel like a large blister, smooth on the outside, but fluid-filled on the inside. When they are deep in breast tissue, cysts will feel like hard lumps because they are covered with tissue.

How cysts are diagnosed and treated

Your healthcare provider may find a cyst during a physical exam. He or she may confirm the diagnosis with a mammogram or ultrasound. You may also have a fine-needle aspiration. This involves guiding a very fine needle into the cyst and drawing fluid from it (aspiration). This also serves as the treatment for this condition. Once the fluid is aspirated, the cyst collapses and disappears. But, cysts can reappear later, in which case they are simply drained again. Cysts are seldom cancerous (malignant).

Fibroadenomas

Fibroadenomas are solid, smooth, firm, noncancerous (benign) lumps that are most commonly found in women in their 20s and 30s. They are the most common benign lumps in women and can occur at any age. They are increasingly being seen in postmenopausal women who are taking hormone therapy. The painless lump feels rubbery and moves around freely. You may find one yourself. Fibroadenomas vary in size and can grow anywhere in the breast tissue.

How fibroadenomas are diagnosed and treated

Your healthcare provider may diagnose this type of lump simply by feeling it. But, he or she will want to confirm the diagnosis with a mammogram or ultrasound and fine-needle aspiration. Sometimes, in very young women, the fibroadenoma is not removed. However, since sometimes these tumors enlarge with pregnancy and breastfeeding, your provider may suggest having it surgically removed. While most fibroadenomas do not lead to cancer, there is a type of fibroadenoma that has been linked to an increased risk of cancer, particularly in women with a family history of the disease.

Fat Necrosis

Fat necrosis is a condition in which painless, round, firm lumps caused by damaged and disintegrating fatty tissues form in the breast tissue. Fat necrosis often occurs in women with very large breasts or who have had a bruise or blow to the breast. This condition may also be the result of a lumpectomy and radiation from a prior cancerous lump. In some cases, healthcare providers will watch the lump through several menstrual cycles. He or she may want to do a mammogram before deciding whether to remove it. These lumps are not cancerous and they do not increase your risk of cancer.

Galactocele (milk retention cysts)

These are fluid-filled masses usually caused by a blocked milk duct.

Hematoma

A hematoma is a blood-filled mass caused by injury or a surgical procedure of the breast.

Sclerosing adenosis

Sclerosing adenosis is excess growth of tissues in the breast's lobules. This often causes breast pain. While these changes in the breast tissue are very small, they may show up on mammograms as calcifications and can make lumps. Usually a biopsy is needed to rule out cancer. In addition, because the condition can be mistaken for cancer, the lumps are usually removed through surgical biopsy.