breast lumps and swollen lymph node?

Question

Wife 4-5 lumps and swollen axillary. What are the chances of breast cancer? Inbeween tests, doctor and radiologist opinion differs. Can anyone help?

Answer 1

You need to stay on top of the docs until you get the answers you need. Sometimes symptoms present in a confusing manner. Also, make sure they rule out Lymphoma.
Best wishes

Answer 2

Lymph nodes are usually swollen when fighting infection.

The lumps could be infected glands in the breast.

This may be easily treated with antibiotics, but there is a rarer form of breast cancer that starts this way.

The Dr's are running tests, make sure these are being done promptly, but stay positive, because cancer is not the most likely diagnoses and even if it is, it is very treatable.

A positive outlook helps!

Answer 3

If they are not acting quickly, it may be simply that they do not suspect cancer. Especially if this came on quickly, cancer doesn't appear like that over night or even over a few days. Mammary glands sometimes swell and cause the lymph nodes to do the same...these symptoms can surface fairly quickly and cause a lot of alarm within the patient (and RIGHTLY SO!) I've posted a link to a small blurb about this.

Just stay on the docs and their nurses and ask them to at the very LEAST give you the information on the direction they are leaning toward. They owe you that honesty.

As far as family history w/ breast cancer...yes the odds are greater with a history but that by no means rules it out. (My sister is having a dbl. massectomy today for breast cancer and we have NO history at all.)

Good luck. Keep a positive can-do attitude & stay in touch w/ the docs....that will help her greatly. Thanks for watching out for her!!! ;-)
~L

Answer 4

Until there is a biopsy, you can never be sure. Request a biopsy so that if it is cancer you can get a move on treatment. The longer you wait and wonder, the more time it has to spread.

Empower your wife to take charge of her treatment. She (and you) have to be an advocate for her treatment, you can't rely on anyone else to be one for you. Research everything you can and come to the doctors appointment armed with questions. If you are not getting the answers you need, move on to another. I highly recomend breastcancer.org. When I was first diagnosed, I sat with my biopsy report (always request a copy of your biopsy reports) and I would search the words that I did not understand (about half of them!!). And I was able to understand what was happening to me. Then I was able to research where to go from there and what I could expect. It was a great comfort to me in a time of so much confusion and emotion.

I am sorry that you and your wife are going through this, but the sooner you get answers the sooner you can start healing!

Good luck to you!
Jen

Answer 5

Certainly something to be worried about. Are the doctor's being quick about testing? I would not let them take a wait & see attitude or I would be going somewhere else for sure. I would say the chances are good with having swollen nodes, & then more if she has any risk factors or history in her family of CA.

Answer 6

Topic Overview
Is this topic for you?

This topic provides information about the initial testing, diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer. If you are looking for information on breast cancer that has come back or has spread to other parts of the body, see the topic Breast Cancer, Metastatic or Recurrent.
What is breast cancer?

Breast cancer is a rapid, uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in one or both breasts. It is the most common type of cancer in women, but it is often cured when found early. 1, 2
What causes breast cancer?

The exact cause of breast cancer is not known. Some women with breast cancer have genetic risk factors called mutations in BRCA genes. You also have a higher risk of breast cancer if a member of your family, especially your mother, father, or sister, has breast cancer. However, many women who have breast cancer do not have any of these risks. 3

Female hormones and increasing age also play a part. The chances that you will develop breast cancer increase as you grow older. About 1 in every 7 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer if she lives to be 80. 4
How is breast cancer diagnosed?

If your doctor thinks you might have breast cancer, he or she will want to test the abnormal cells in the breast using a procedure called a biopsy. This is sometimes done by inserting a needle into the abnormal area and taking a few sample cells (needle biopsy). At other times the entire suspicious area will be removed through a small incision in your breast. The sample is then examined under a microscope by a pathologist to see if it contains cancer cells.
What are the symptoms?

The most common symptom of breast cancer is a painless lump in the breast. However, early breast cancer is often found on a mammogram before a lump can be felt.

Other symptoms of breast cancer may not appear until the cancer is more advanced. These include:

* A thickening in the breast or armpit.
* A change in the size or shape of the breast.
* Changes in the skin of the breast, such as a dimple or skin that looks like orange peel.
* A change in the nipple, such as scaling of the skin, a nipple that turns in, or discharge or bleeding.
* A change in the color or feel of the skin around the nipple (areola).

Many people believe that only women have breast cancer. But, although much less common, about 1% of all breast cancer occurs in adult men. Most men who are diagnosed with breast cancer are older than 65, but the disease can appear in younger men. For this reason, any breast lump in an adult male is considered abnormal. 1, 2
How is it treated?

Treatment options for breast cancer include surgery; the use of high doses of X-rays to destroy cancer cells, called radiation therapy; or the use of powerful medicines to destroy cancer cells, called chemotherapy or hormone therapy. A combination of these treatments is usually used.

Many factors about your breast cancer will help you and your doctor decide which combination of treatments is right for you. Factors that may affect your decision include:

* The size of your breast cancer and whether it has spread to lymph nodes under your arm.
* Whether your breast cancer is sensitive to hormones (estrogen/progesterone receptor status).
* How your breast cancer looks under the microscope (grade).
* Your age, whether you have gone through menopause, and whether you have any other health problems.
* Whether your breast cancer has human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2/neu), a protein that is in part responsible for how certain cancer cells grow, divide, and repair themselves. Breast cancer cells that produce this protein often grow and spread quickly and require more aggressive treatment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Learning about breast cancer:


* What is breast cancer?
* What causes breast cancer?
* How can I prevent breast cancer?
* What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
* What increases my risk for breast cancer?
* When do I need to see my doctor?

Being diagnosed:


* How will my doctor diagnose breast cancer?
* What is a mammogram?
* What is a biopsy?
* What are the types (classifications) of breast cancer?

Getting treatment:


* What types of treatments are available?
* Will I need to take medicines?
* What is radiation therapy?
* Will I need surgery?
* What are clinical trials?

Living with breast cancer:


* How will breast cancer affect my daily life?
* Will I lose my hair?
* What can I do about nausea and vomiting?
* Is cancer treatment painful?
* What will I do if I can't sleep?
* What happens if breast cancer comes back?

Answer 7

i want to recommend you something that i think can help you and tour wife. because you see i have my aunt who also has lumps before she is also very afraid because it might have the chance to become a breast cancer but she heard something about a product called "genesis" made by symmetry company. actually genesis is made of fruits that can be found in bible(genesis). because the researchers believe that if we ate the same foods in the time of abraham or isaac like them we can also have so many vitamins and nutrients in our body and we can also live up to 100 yrs old like in the time of abraham. so if you are really serious in solutioning this problem . if you want you can visit this site for more details about "genesis" or other products of symmetry.
www.symmetrydirect .com/nmagno or e-mail your questions to [e-mail]