Fibrocystic Breasts

[Anonymous]

Looking for some advice/information from women who have fibrocystic breasts. When I was 15 (now 27), I found a lump in my left breast. It was quite large, which is why I think that is the only reason I noticed it at 15. I was told then that it was just fatty tissue, and it has never gone away. Last fall, my new OBGYN checked it out and said it was just a cyst, and nothing to worry about. She did warn me it could at times feel larger than others if it filled up with fluid, and this could occur around my menstrual cycle.

A few days ago, I noticed the left breast looking swollen and feeling... lumpier? Just all around fuller. The cyst is there still, and still free moving, but feels a little larger, but it seems as if there is a mass of tissue directly under the areola that I can grab, which I assume is causing the feeling of fullness and lumpiness. Today is day 1 of my cycle. My question is this: since I have a confirmed cyst, and today is day 1 of my cycle, is this just the cyst (or possibly more cysts that have not been noticed by me yet, under the areola) filling with fluid and causing this? The breast feels tender, sort of like the early days of pregnancy. I have done some reading and am thinking I may have a fibrocystic breast. My DH is concerned and thinks I should schedule a visit with my OBGYN, but I'm holding off until my cycle is over. Assuming this is just cysts filling with fluid, they would go back to regular size following the end of my cycle. If they don't, I suppose I will then schedule a check up to make sure everything's alright. I'm 98% sure everything is fine, given that I know most lumps are benign, and I do have one confirmed cyst in that breast, and I'm at an unlikely (though still possible) age for breast cancer, but I'm just looking for any similar stories. I've never had this breast swell up and feel like this, during a cycle or not, so it's a little odd and off putting. Any BTDT to share? Should I be worried about a sudden change or does this all sound normal? I don't want to hassle my OBGYN only to be told this is normal breast tissue.

[Anonymous]

I have fibrocystic breasts and I always feel a bit of a lumpy mass under my areolae. I can't recall if it was bigger or lumpier at certain times of my cycle (I was on the pill for a decade and have been pregnant/nursing so haven't had a real cycle for a long time).

I also had a cyst in my left breast and found it when I was 16. It did diminish somewhat over time (hardly can feel it nowadays), but it was much worse depending on my cycle back when I found it. Crazy that we are so similar![code]

That said, if you're worried, go to the OBGYN. They will never make you feel bad for coming in with a worry about your breasts. Even if your breasts are normal (sound like it to me), just knowing they are normal will put you greatly at ease.

[Anonymous]

I'm in the same boat. The absolute worse time to check your fibrocystic breasts (or any kind for that matter) is during your cycle when everything is out of whack. Wait until a week after your cycle ends when things have returned to normal. If you're still concerned, call the doc asap! I'd bother my doc every month if I believed my concern was a valid one. Heaven forbid you (like, not really "you" per se) end up with stage four breast cancer, it would be too late to wish you had "bothered" your doctor sooner. Not to be so dramatic but you get my point. Your health comes first and if you don't prioritize it who will?

[Anonymous]

OP, I agree that it's totally OK to go to the doc if you're worried, but my fibrocystic breasts change dramatically with my cycle, and increasingly moreso as I get older (I'm now 38). I also have new lumps that thatnkfully turned out to be nothing, again part of getting older.

[Anonymous]

Thanks all. Today is day 2 and I already notice some of the lumpiness decreasing. I might schedule an appointment just in case though, since this is definitely the first time it's felt like this at any time, including during a cycle. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, but it's probably prudent to let my doctor know if things feel different just so she can be aware there may be more cysts.

[Anonymous]

Schedule an appointment with a breast surgeon, not an OB/GYN. I've found that GYNs don't know nearly as much about breast issues as breast surgeons. I see a breast surgeon once every 3 months due to a variety of issues. I've had fibrocystic breasts since I was about 18. Constant breast pain at all times of my cycle. I never noticed any lumps until my GYN found a lump when I was 30. Turns out it was a fibroadenoma. This is a solid benign tumor that often occurs in women with fibrocystic breasts. I've had 5 of these fibroadenomas surgically removed in the past few years. They just kept popping up, I found a few of them myself. Interestingly, now that all of these have been removed, my fibrocystic breast pain has decreased dramatically. Now my breasts only hurt the week before my period instead of excrutiating pain that week and moderate pain the rest of the cycle. I have tiny breasts and have had a lot of issues with this. I've had a few cysts, but they are small and always resolved by the next ultrasound.

One time my left breast swelled up, felt hot, and was excrutiatingly tender. The other one was fine. My gyn attributed this to a hormone fluxuation. Never happened besides that one time.

I have completely cut out caffeine and that has helped a lot with the pain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Schedule an appointment with a breast surgeon, not an OB/GYN. I've found that GYNs don't know nearly as much about breast issues as breast surgeons. I see a breast surgeon once every 3 months due to a variety of issues. I've had fibrocystic breasts since I was about 18. Constant breast pain at all times of my cycle. I never noticed any lumps until my GYN found a lump when I was 30. Turns out it was a fibroadenoma. This is a solid benign tumor that often occurs in women with fibrocystic breasts. I've had 5 of these fibroadenomas surgically removed in the past few years. They just kept popping up, I found a few of them myself. Interestingly, now that all of these have been removed, my fibrocystic breast pain has decreased dramatically. Now my breasts only hurt the week before my period instead of excrutiating pain that week and moderate pain the rest of the cycle. I have tiny breasts and have had a lot of issues with this. I've had a few cysts, but they are small and always resolved by the next ultrasound.

One time my left breast swelled up, felt hot, and was excrutiatingly tender. The other one was fine. My gyn attributed this to a hormone fluxuation. Never happened besides that one time.

I have completely cut out caffeine and that has helped a lot with the pain.

OP here and this sticks out to me, as I have tiny breasts too (32A). I wonder if women with smaller breasts are more likely to get these? Your post has given me something to think about. I am going to schedule an appointment with my GYN just as a precautionary measure but I will keep your advice re: a breast surgeon in the back of my mind just in case I notice any future changes. Did your fibroadenomas feel hard? My cyst has typically felt fairly "soft" but now, despite the major swelling going down and that breast returning to mostly normal, the lump I am feeling there feels harder. I suppose it's possible it is a fibroadenoma.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schedule an appointment with a breast surgeon, not an OB/GYN. I've found that GYNs don't know nearly as much about breast issues as breast surgeons. I see a breast surgeon once every 3 months due to a variety of issues. I've had fibrocystic breasts since I was about 18. Constant breast pain at all times of my cycle. I never noticed any lumps until my GYN found a lump when I was 30. Turns out it was a fibroadenoma. This is a solid benign tumor that often occurs in women with fibrocystic breasts. I've had 5 of these fibroadenomas surgically removed in the past few years. They just kept popping up, I found a few of them myself. Interestingly, now that all of these have been removed, my fibrocystic breast pain has decreased dramatically. Now my breasts only hurt the week before my period instead of excrutiating pain that week and moderate pain the rest of the cycle. I have tiny breasts and have had a lot of issues with this. I've had a few cysts, but they are small and always resolved by the next ultrasound.

One time my left breast swelled up, felt hot, and was excrutiatingly tender. The other one was fine. My gyn attributed this to a hormone fluxuation. Never happened besides that one time.

I have completely cut out caffeine and that has helped a lot with the pain.

OP here and this sticks out to me, as I have tiny breasts too (32A). I wonder if women with smaller breasts are more likely to get these? Your post has given me something to think about. I am going to schedule an appointment with my GYN just as a precautionary measure but I will keep your advice re: a breast surgeon in the back of my mind just in case I notice any future changes. Did your fibroadenomas feel hard? My cyst has typically felt fairly "soft" but now, despite the major swelling going down and that breast returning to mostly normal, the lump I am feeling there feels harder. I suppose it's possible it is a fibroadenoma.

1st PP here. My doctor said it can happen to women with any breast size. I'm 38DD, so that seems to be the case

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schedule an appointment with a breast surgeon, not an OB/GYN. I've found that GYNs don't know nearly as much about breast issues as breast surgeons. I see a breast surgeon once every 3 months due to a variety of issues. I've had fibrocystic breasts since I was about 18. Constant breast pain at all times of my cycle. I never noticed any lumps until my GYN found a lump when I was 30. Turns out it was a fibroadenoma. This is a solid benign tumor that often occurs in women with fibrocystic breasts. I've had 5 of these fibroadenomas surgically removed in the past few years. They just kept popping up, I found a few of them myself. Interestingly, now that all of these have been removed, my fibrocystic breast pain has decreased dramatically. Now my breasts only hurt the week before my period instead of excrutiating pain that week and moderate pain the rest of the cycle. I have tiny breasts and have had a lot of issues with this. I've had a few cysts, but they are small and always resolved by the next ultrasound.

One time my left breast swelled up, felt hot, and was excrutiatingly tender. The other one was fine. My gyn attributed this to a hormone fluxuation. Never happened besides that one time.

I have completely cut out caffeine and that has helped a lot with the pain.

OP here and this sticks out to me, as I have tiny breasts too (32A). I wonder if women with smaller breasts are more likely to get these? Your post has given me something to think about. I am going to schedule an appointment with my GYN just as a precautionary measure but I will keep your advice re: a breast surgeon in the back of my mind just in case I notice any future changes. Did your fibroadenomas feel hard? My cyst has typically felt fairly "soft" but now, despite the major swelling going down and that breast returning to mostly normal, the lump I am feeling there feels harder. I suppose it's possible it is a fibroadenoma.

I wrote the post you quoted. I don't think breast size has anything to do with fibrocystic breasts or fibroadenomas, but having had 5 fibroadenomas already removed with tiny breasts, I am so glad I don't have larger breasts as I would probably have even more issues. I would recommend skipping the gyn and going right to a breast surgeon. At first, I was intimidated by the idea of a breast surgeon, but I soon realized that they are so much better with the breast issues than a regular gyn. I started going to one right after my gyn found the first lump, which was a fibroadenoma, and now I just get all my clinical breast exams with the breast surgeon. There's even a difference in how breast surgeons versus gyns do breast exams. Breast surgeons are so much more thorough. Most of my gyns never even looked at my breasts for a visual inspection--they just did the exam with the gown on. And their exam was so cursory. A breast surgeon spends a lot of time with the exam. I think the way most gyns do it is not very thorough. So I think if one has breast issues, see a breast surgeon for the best care. And if you have to have something removed, go to a breast surgeon for that too.

All my breast issues occurred between 29 and 33. I think my hormones may have been fluctuating then or something. After 33 things have settled down. And now I have much less cyclical breast pain than I used to have. I think part of this is the settling down of the hormones, the other part is that my surgeon removed a lot of tissue with those 5 fibroadenomas, and maybe that was the tissue that was causing pain.

[Anonymous]

Op here. Saw my doctor this morning. She said the lump felt different than it did during my yearly exam last fall- bigger and more raised up. She ordered an ultrasound to get an idea what kind of mass it is. I go in Wednesday morning for that. Hoping just a cyst but who knows. Will update.

[Anonymous]

Good luck, OP. I hope they are able to tell you right away that it's just a cyst.

[Anonymous]

I've had two false alarms sparked by ultrasounds. Just remember that it ain't over until the pathologist sings, whatever the radiologist says!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've had two false alarms sparked by ultrasounds. Just remember that it ain't over until the pathologist sings, whatever the radiologist says!!

Thanks, I am hoping it's just a cyst or fibroadenoma. I have a 3 year old, so I can't even contemplate the possibility of a malignancy right now without getting upset. I'm hoping my age, a lack of breast cancer in my family history, and the fact that this lump has been there forever are indicative of a good outcome. Nothing to do but wait I suppose.

[Anonymous]

OP here, had u/s this morning. Radius of the lump is huge- like 8 cm. (Or whatever measurement they use. They kept saying rad 8.) Radiologist said it doesn't appear to be a well defined mass, though it feels well defined. Printed me the film and I am to call my dr to see what she recommends. Radiologist said a biopsy could be done for peace of mind or my dr may refer me to a breast surgeon for their more in depth opinion. No clear answers yet but at least no definitive bad news.

[Anonymous]

OP, I'm glad there has been no definitive bad news but, as a very recent breast cancer survivor, I urge you to make an IMMEDIATE appointment with a breast surgeon to have the mass evaluated. I do not mean to be alarmist, and believe me I know how scary any abnormality in the breast can be, but each day that ticks by is an opportunity for any potential malignancy (and I do truly and sincerely hope that's not what you're facing) to metastisize and spread to your lymph nodes. You have every right to demand immediate attention based on the results of the ultrasound and I can't recommend enough that you move quickly (at worst you will get a quick answer that it's NOT a malignancy, which will be a huge relief). I would call your doctor today and demand a referral (if your insurance requires it) to a breast surgeon or contact one yourself if you do not need a referral. After my ultrasound the radiologist acted fairly unconcerned and told me I should "probably" have a biopsy to investigate further but did not give me any indication that it was urgent or that he suspected anything malignant. That day, I scheduled a biopsy for two weeks later and, although nervous, I didn't feel like there was any emergency based on the radiologist's demeanor. What he did not know, however, was that my GP has an online system that provides patients access to all records and later that evening I saw the letter he sent my GP stating that he viewed my mass as "highly suspicious" of BC. After gathering my wits, I moved quickly when I saw that and referred myself to a breast surgeon b/c I did not have time to wait around for my GP to get my call and get back to me. And I am grateful every day that I moved fast b/c it turned out I had a micrometastisis to one lymph node that was just waiting to spread. FWIW, there is zero history of BC in my family and I tested negative for the BRCA gene mutations. But I have a 4-year-old DC and darn well plan to be around to see my DC graduate HS, at a minimum. So I don't have time to waste. I urge anyone with any kind of lump to move quickly to have it evaluated. Best wishes to you for a different result than I had, OP!