B/C and lump in breast?

[b fold the truth]

My ex has been on ortho b/c for 3 months now. I was talking to her yesterday and she is worried about several things...mainly a lump that she found in her breast last week.

She is 22, almost 23, has a history of breast cancer in her family, and is worried that her b/c could increase her risk greatly. Over the past 2 months...she has went from a C cup to a D cup...and has lost about 15lbs from hard training. This worries her greatly...she doesn't want her breasts to get any bigger....and is afraid that the lump may have something to do with it.

Her period is about 5 days away I think...and is wondering if that could have something to do with it also. She has already made an apointment for Monday morning to get it checked out...but was just looking for some insight to maybe help ease her mind.

Thanks

B True

 

[Phemomena]

tell her to not to worry until the doctor checks her out... recent studies here say that self-examinaton is highly unreliable and they're actually discourgaging women from doing them now

the increase in cup size may be just a side effect of the pill.... everyone is different.. (maybe because she has been poking at them too much too... not to joke around, but they may just be swollen since she's been feeling too much for these lumps...) tell her to just relax and not worry about it for now.. as far as i remember, the pill is supposed to reduce the risk of breast cancer....

 

[Sassy69]

I think the most important thing to do is get feedback from the doctor. When just starting a new birth control pill, sometimes it takes a while to find the pill with the right combination (estrogen or estrogen/progesterone) and dosage. The need to adjust this is usually indicated by at the very least break through bleeding (bleeding at mid month). Also since she is only in the first 3 months of trying this new b/c, possibly her body is still trying to adjust. Breasts sometimes swell up, but its not like they got "bigger" (like a boob job). The lump I dont' know about - it may just be part of the swelling.

Because there are so many unknowns here (and I am not speaking in any sense as a doctor or an authority, just from experience over the years with my b/c and things I've heard from others) and the fact that she is still fairly new to the b/c, its hard to draw conclusions. She already has the appt w/ the doc - no sense in panicking without anything specific to panic about.

You don't say how long since she has been experiencing these conditions, so if it has been on-going, I hope the doctor had said to contact him/her if there was any discomfort or anything unusual happening from the moment the pill was prescribed.

Good luck and don't panic - the doc should know already of the history of breast cancer and have prescribed the original pill accordingly. Because it introduces a hormonal change in the body sometimes it just takes a while to get everything adjusted and settled.

 

[FitFossil]

Does she drink diet sodas? This can cause breast lumps as well, but keep the dr. appointment anyway.

 

[b fold the truth]

She is still very tender...no...I did not examine
She is going to the doctor on Monday for a regular check up...called the doc today and told him what she found...said that he wants for her to wait till she has had her period (next week) then if it still is there...then come in.

Any other advice?

Thanks

B True

 

[thebabydoc]

Great advice from all, especially Phenom & Sassy!!!

Breast cancer in a 22 year-old is EXTREMELY rare, although not unheard of.
Significant family history is 2 or more 1st degree relatives (mother, sister) or someone with Premenopausal Breast cancer.
On average, by the time a mass is palpable, it has been there for 3-5 years and is 1/2 cm.

increase risk from bc is at best VERY small (no conclusive studies) and largely outweighed by decreased risk of ovarian and uterine cancers.


stay calm and only do exams once monthly, several days AFTER her menses, that is when the breasts are smallest and least tender.