Breast Mass vs. Breast Engorgement

[bejuce]

I've recently requested a copy of all my medical records in an effort to understand how/why it took so long to diagnose me.

In reading through them, I found out that my OB had noted that back in March '08 (I was diagnosed on February '09) my right breast was engorged from breastfeeding (more than the left) in the upper outer quadrant (I was only nursing my son for comfort at night at that point.)

Since I found my swollen lymph node in July '08, it sure looks like to me that my so-called breast engorgement was already my breast tumor in there. How likely is it to mistake a breast mass for breast engorgement? Has anyone heard/experienced this before? Shouldn't this "breast engorgement" finding combined with my swollen lymph node two months later immediately prompt the doctors to recommend me for a mammogram/MRI? Imagine what will happen now with the new guidelines in place...

[Becky]

Hi

I'll comment first on the new guidelines - you will and would still get diagnositics as the mammo or MRI would be ordered because you had a problem. I am sure that won't change just the age requirements etc for standard mammos.

Second, I think there is difficulty in diagnosing when a woman is still nursing and especially in that "semi-weaning" stage. Although not diagnosed while nursing, I did nurse and got the same exact engorgement problem you described - a whole quadrant which is typical. I was given antibiotics that cleared it right up.

I am not sure how quickly the doctors dealt with you after the swollen lymph node. That would have not just been bells and whistles to me but a gigantic blow horn!

Just to reiterate, I think someone who was in your situation - it would be easy for a doctor to confuse engorgement versus a mass.

[suzan w]

Hi, I agree with Becky, my understanding of the 'new guidelines' is mainly for "routine mammograms", ie: baseline for everyone at age 40, etc. I would think if someone had an unusual presentation at a doc visit, or a concern upon finding a lump that a mammogram would still be the first recommendation. I, too, nursed both of my boys and had some issues with breast engorgement, and areas that felt "funny" to me. It was a long time ago (34 years!!) but one time I did get a needle biopsy on the area which proved to be nothing. Good for you, getting your records, I think it is very important for us to have all of our "stuff" available at a moment's notice. xo Suzan

[Ruth]

Been there...lets see. I found mine while weaning my daughter from nursing. What finally caught the attention was my inability to get my engorgement down...after 9 MONTHS!
A little history. Almost immediately after my daughters birth my right breast had problems with engorgement. I was on antibiotics; bled from the nipple; went to hospital lactating specialists; and OBGYN. I didn't have these extreme problems nursing my older boys but the lactating specialist just told me to keep going. I remember trying heating compresses; cabbage leaves and manually compressing the breast to get the "engorgement" down. My nodes were engorged and that is also common with nursing. It didn't raise flags and no-one mentioned a mammogram since you can't get one while nursing. Plus I was in my 30's and no history of any cancer anywhere in my family.
Then I finally started weaning my daughter after months of frustrated nursing. I couldn't get "the lump" in my breast to go away. Went to my OBGYN and goodness probably had the cancer the whole time and it was in 10 of my lymphnodes. My Oncologist feels the nursing aggrevated the situation since my nodes were on super cleasing mode. It's hard to say why things happened the way they did. Who knows why these things happen. I don't regret nursing my sweet Emma and had to promise the boys that their baby sister wouldn't get cancer from the milk. At the time that was their greatest concern. The innocence of kids.
Don't forget to always have hope...this all happened to me over 6 years ago. Still here and sometimes wish I could nurse another little one.
Hugs ~ Ruth