It saddens me to read your inquiry, and on several different levels, First of all, I am sad that you lost your mother to breast cancer early in your life. Secondly, I am sad that this understandably traumatic loss has caused you to swear to yourself that you would avoid treatment for breast cancer should you ever be diagnosed with this disease. As more than 85 to 90 percent of all women who are diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer will be alive and free of breast cancer 10 years after their initial diagnosis, condemning yourself to a certain and early (and likely unpleasant) death, should you ever develop breast cancer, really does not make a lot of sense to me.
As for your own personal situation, the vast majority of breast cancers are completely painless unless they are very advanced. On the other hand, breast pain (mastodynia) is, unfortunately, very common in young women, particularly around the time of their menstrual periods. Having said this, there is no way for me to tell you that this breast lump is benign or malignant simply based upon your description. At a minimum, you should have your physician perform a thorough breast examination, as well as ordering a breast ultrasound to further evaluate this lump (especially given your family history of breast cancer). I would also strongly recommend a referral to a genetic counselor, so that your family history can be comprehensively reviewed. If this evaluation suggests that you are at high risk for carrying one of the known hereditary breast cancer gene mutations, then you should at least consider undergoing genetic testing for these breast cancer gene mutations.
I have cared for many women with advanced breast cancer over the years, and while their length of survival has varied considerably, some of them have suffered very unpleasant and lingering deaths from neglected breast cancers. Despite the severe trauma that you have experienced related to your mother's death from breast cancer, your thoughts about avoiding treatment should you develop breast cancer is not logical, and it is not rational. So, please do yourself, your boyfriend, your father, and everyone else who is dear to you in this world a favor. Get your breast lump evaluated, see a genetic counselor, and if you should ever be unfortunate enough to be diagnosed with breast cancer in the course of your life, get yourself aggressively treated without delay, so that you can join the millions of other women in this country who have beaten breast cancer, and who go on to live full and long lives after their diagnosis and treatment.
Sincerely/ Robert A. Wascher, MD, FACS
http://doctorwascher.com
