Breast Pain Clinic
Breast pain clinics are being launched in Lancashire and South Cumbria to offer specialist help and advice to people who are experiencing breast pain.
Breast pain can be uncomfortable and worrying but breast pain on its own is rarely a symptom of cancer.
The clinics have been set up to ensure that people whose only symptom is breast pain don’t need to be seen on a cancer pathway.
This means that patients can avoid unnecessary hospital appointments and associated scans, as well as the worry that unnecessarily being referred to a cancer pathway can cause.
At the clinics patients can also receive expert advice and practical steps to help alleviate their breast pain symptoms.
What are the causes of breast pain?
Most women will experience breast pain at some stage in their life.
There are different ways women describe the sensations in their breasts including pain, discomfort, a bruised sensation, tingling/itching behind the nipple, and tenderness.
There are many reasons women may experience breast pain and these can include:
- Hormones, for example due to the menstrual cycle, pregnancy or breastfeeding
- A breast infection or inflammation can cause pain (if this is the case there will be other symptoms too)
- A problem with underlying organs – bone and/or muscle-related pain – like a pulled muscle in the chest
- Nerve-related pain, such as back pain
This video from Dr Afsana Safa, a GP in Westminster, explains the causes of breast pain and why it is not considered to be a sign of more serious disease.
She describes how breast pain feels and what you can do to help relieve the pain.
What happens at a breast pain clinic?
At the clinic, the healthcare professional will ask you questions to understand more about your symptoms and your general health and examine your breasts, chest, underarms and back. There are no scans or mammograms at the clinic.
You will also be asked about any family history of breast cancer through a questionnaire. This can help to identify whether you have an increased risk of breast cancer due to your family history. If so, you may need to be referred to a community family history clinic.
The clinician will aim to identify the cause of your breast pain and help you to manage it or refer you to another service for further investigation if necessary.
Where are the breast pain clinics?
In Lancashire and South Cumbria, there are two breast pain clinics so far and more will follow in future:
Central Lancashire
Greater Lancashire Hospital, Wyder Court, Millennium City Park, Ribbleton, Preston, PR2 5BW.
East Lancashire
St Peter’s Centre, 42 Church Street, Burnley, BB11 2DL.
How can I access a breast pain clinic?
If you are experiencing breast pain, please speak to your GP. If there is a breast pain clinic up and running in your area you may be referred there if you are suitable – this may depend on your symptoms and family history.
If you are eligible for NHS breast screening, please continue to book and attend your mammogram appointments as usual.
