Special k,

It's always important to get any lump checked out, no matter what your age and what gender you are. The doctor first thought my lump was a cyst. Cysts are not cancerous. She recommended the ultrasound, I didn't say I wanted one.

The ultrasound showed it wasn't a cyst, but most likely a fibroadenoma. Ultrasounds cannot show whether cells are cancerous or not. I waited 6 months and my lump did not change and I was stilled worried so I got referred to a surgeon.

The surgeon said he could do a biopsy. I selected the fine needle biopsy because that's the least invasive kind. It didn't work out. I was very upset at the inconclusive results so my surgeon said I could get a core needle biopsy. I didn't go against any medical advice. The surgeon suggested the core needle biopsy. He knew about my fears and thought it best for me to have a biopsy.

I know I have to get the biopsy because I know I will continue to worry if I don't.

Fibroadenomas may or may not increase the risk of breast cancer. There are conflicting studies on that. I think the risk is small for me.

I don't feel guilty about using up medical resources to investigate my lumps. I would want anyone with a lump to get it properly investigated. With any solid tumor, there is the risk of it being malignant. Many people remove fibroadenomas because they often get bigger.

I realize now that I was being disrespectful when I wrote that I would rather kill myself than go through cancer treatments. I stopped doing that. People there were mostly annoyed with me because I kept writing about my fears. They didn't want to hear them over and over again. I think they picked on me after the suicide comments. They are supportive towards others who wrote about their fears.