the pain has only been the last couple of days but is down the outer side of my breast and comes and goes with a burning sensation . i have never experienced this before could this be a sign of cancer
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Q: i have been getting a slight pain down the left side of my breast that feels almost like a burning
Answers (2)
7/13/08 6:14am
Jen, except in very rare cases, pain isn't a sign of breast cancer. If the pain goes across your whole breast; and your breast becomes hot and swollen, turns red, and maybe starts to itch, like an infection, it might be inflammatory breast cancer. But a slight, burning pain is probably a nerve thing, or even something hormonal. If it doesn't go away or gets worse, why not make a doctor's appointment, just to set your mind at ease? Good luck. - PJH
7/11/10 6:34pm
We all travel a different road with our cancer, Jan. In your case, pain probably was related to the cancer. In most cases, it's not. I was diagnosed with invasive lobular cancer, with absolutely no pain, no thickening, no heaviness, nothing but a shadow on a mammogram. Luckily, the survival rate for ILC is better than for IDC - so take heart, Jan, the stats are on your side. Best of luck - PJH
7/11/10 9:11pm
Tks my dear ... the best of luck to you as well :)
7/11/10 10:51pm
Jen, it's too soon to say if this could be a sign of breast cancer. Probably not, because you say it comes and goes, and cancer symptoms tend to come and get worse. The pain and tenderness I had that turned out to be the initial symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer were intermittent at first, but quickly (within a couple of weeks) became constant. I had been told that "breast cancer does not hurt", so I had no idea that my symptoms could be cancer.
You will notice that when PJ Hamel and I answer questions about breast pain, we are always careful to say that breast cancer USUALLY does not hurt, or pain is not a TYPICAL symptom of breast cancer. The typical cancerous breast lump does not hurt, especially compared to the breast cysts, which are often tender to the touch. However, there are many forms of breast cancer, and every person experiences symptoms in her own way, so it is important to have a doctor check out ALL breast changes that last longer than a menstrual cycle.
Since you have had this pain for only a couple of days, it is way too early to panic, but it is good that you are paying attention to breast changes and doing some research about what might be causing the problem. Check with your doctor right away if the pain becomes severe or if you develop other symptoms.
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Just for the record, I started having pain in my left breast w/the same type of burning sensation that Jen described. It was not constant, but was happening quite frequently. Unfortunately, I was diagnosed with Invasive Lobular Carcinoma just a few days ago in that same breast. In fact, it was that pain and discomfort along with a heaviness and a thickening that made me go in for my anual testing. Nothing will make me believe that the issues (pain and cancer) are not related.