pun intended

bumping this topic up hoping for updates on everyone's lumps. Michael--I am sorry to hear of the loss of your father. Kindest thoughts and wishes to you.

just_this_once, that's a fun story but most of us are a little more "with it" than that, I hope! I studied anatomy in art school, and Mom4Life and Hudson are obviously well-informed. What caused us to go looking for info was the sensation that something was *unusual*--often occurring over a short time--when you're 40, you'll see what I mean! Our bodies that we knew so well start changing in nutty ways. Think you're scared at age 22?? (Oh wait... I remember fearing mortality at age 22 as well... never mind!)

In my case I was drying off in the locker room and startled out of my wits by my reflection in the mirror showing the xyphoid bump--"what IS THAT?" Looking down I could see it poking out in a way it's never done. I spend a lot of time admiring myself in the mirror so I can guarantee this A couple weeks later I overheard a friend of mine age 68, same locker room, talking about a lump she had just had checked out--you guessed it! She said hers is benign and consists only of cartilage. May we all be so lucky.

Hope to hear from everyone how they are doing. pdpolaski what was the result of your PET scan and biopsy? best wishes

As with the story from just this once I too panicked. I had lost a lot of weight after a 3 month illness and discovered a hard bony golf ball size lump attached to the end of my sternum whilst having a shower. I was so shocked I fainted and ended up in casualty department after an ambulance ride!!
I was told it was an inflamed xiphoid sternum possibly caused by heavy lifting (Job at the time was a lot of heavy lifting of reels of cable). This was six months ago and despite taking anti inflammatory drugs it is still there and feels very annoying and uncomfortable and hurts if I take a deep breath or lie on my side at night for too long.It stops me from doing pull ups and I have not been surfing or canoeing since discovering it so it really has ruined my sports hobbies and the general quality of life. I have been back to my doctor and he just said the same thing as the casualty doctor and said there was nothing he could do about it. I have now just given up on getting it sorted out and am trying to just live with it but my sympathy goes out to anyone who has it. I may summon up the courage to go back a third time. If anyone has been "Cured" please let me know how.

I bumped into this thread recently when I was trying to describe my sore feeling in my chest for the past 2 months. I did some weight lifting and I thought it was as a result of that and I was trying to describe my problem. I researched on this and it brought me to this forum.
It hurts badly, Its a sore feeling in ur chest, which wont go away so easily, would maeke u feel like theres a small lump in the Sternum bone trying to poke you. I would strongly suggest to people that there is no need to panic/worry but to to take extra care to ensure that all the scans/relevant tests are done and you have consulted more than 2-3 physicians to ensure that the situation is under control. I am freaking out at this point too .. after reading some stories which are related to tumors in that region.My appointment with the doctor is tomm, and would update you all on what the doctor has got to say in this matter

Arjun

I am greatly reassured to read these posts. I was freaked out when I discovered the lump on my sternum. I've lost 15 pounds in recent weeks and so I'm less puffy than I was! I first SAW the lump, then felt it, upon lifting my large (droopy) breasts (thank you, aging, weight gain/loss and childbearing). I will keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn't grow or otherwise change. I'll be 40 this year, so I guess this is one of many body changes to come!

I too have this bump at the bottom of my sternum. It doesn't really hurt it's just there. It has been there for quite a few months now and I haven't been to worried about it until reading some of these posts, talking about cancer. Haven't lost weight like other. They probably lost it due to being stressed and not eating. It hurts a little when lying on myside in bed and my chest cracks each morning when I extend my arms. Will get it checked next time I'm at the doc's. Keep well everyone.

I can't help but wonder if posture may be the root cause of most of these inflamations.

Specifically, sitting at a computer chair and hunched over while reading medical forum posts.

This symptom doesn't seem to follow a criteria of age (although, there aren't many teens posting on the matter). If you wanted to root out disease, or abnormalty, this could just be a result of habit.

About a month ago, I noticed a lump at the bottom of my sternum. I didn't see it until a couple of days after I helped my friend lift his HUGE TV a couple of time. I feel it when I stretch my arms up or bend my back. It doesn't hurt, but I do feel a sensation. I went to the dr. and he told me it was an extention of my sternum. I know it has nothing to do with my heart. I went to a cardiologist and he gave me an echocardiagram and stress test. Everything came back normal. But, I can't stop thinking about the lump. I will keep an eye on it to see if it changes. BTW... I am about to turn 39. My body is definitely changing.

does anyone else find it truly bizarre that after everyone expresses how freaked out they are about their golfball sized lump, not a single one actually comes back to reassure (or not reassure) the rest of us.

either this condition is precipitously fatal, or they feel so sheepish afterward that they just drop the whole thing.

i, however, do solemnly vow to return and post the follow up to my very own golf ball sized lump of the sternum.

Thanks everyone for all your posts. I too wish others would reply back after their doc's apt. I haven't made an apt yet, b/c waiting on insurance ID. I have lost about 20 lbs and am lifting, turning, pulling, bending, etc everyday at work (I am a nurse). I will let you know what I find out.

s_russell:
thank you, I think the exact same thing because I never find an answer! About to have an mri bc they saw lucencies (sp??) on the ct scan. I will come back too! lol, but post back so people know what yours is about.
: )

The report stated that I have a benign growth under my sternum. I asked how do you know it is benign and they said I don't know and this is how the radiologist described the lump. Then she stated that we know you are nervous and can give you the number to a general surgeon who can look more into this. They ordered an ultra sound scan to identify the lump. Maybe this was not good enough? What kind of scans have others had?

Does anyone know what a benign growth versus a malignant growth looks like on an ultra sound? I am still frustrated and need to know more.

Take care everyone.

I started with pain in my sternum area a couple of years ago. it lasted maybe a few days and then died off with no further problem. just three weeks ago, i started with the pain again. i also have dreadful pain in my right elbow and all down by right arm. Over the past couple of days I have now developed dreadful pain in my upper back and spine, and it also seems to be radiating into my neck and lower head. The chest pain disappears for a day or two then returns wit a vengeance. Have not lost weight, but am experiencing exreme fatigue. I am becoming more and more worried. i am visiting a doctor next week. will post more when I know more.

I have read all the posts, and all the symptoms are the same, but no one seems to come back with a response from the doctor. has anyone gotten an explanation and prognosis?

32 yr male healthy 1/2 marathon runner. Noticed the golf ball sized lump about 2 hours ago. Ran to my doctor, just about busted down the door and told him to schedule me a chest xray. He felt my "lump" and said xiphoid process. "Am I okay". He left the room and came back with a book from med school in the 60's. It's a part of your sternum. Your okay. I never noticed it until now. All the while during my visit, he was practically laughing at me. That "sh__" eating grin of his was great reassurance actually.

I am a 24 year old woman about to get married in a month. I have just discovered a lump at the bottom of my sternum. I am not lifting anything out of the ordinary and I have not lost a drastic amount of weight lately. I am severely freaked out because I have always been skinny and been able to feel some of my major bones ie: ribs, sternum, collar bone... I have NEVER felt this before. I have NO insurance until after we are legally married and I am so stressed out.

Hope everyone else that has this is okay?

I've had a cough and heartburn for the past two months or so, went to the Dr. and had an upper GI the other day but no results yet. Yesterday at dinner I'm explaining to my sister the feeling I get in my lower chest when I'm hungry: nausea, dull pain in my chest behind my sternum/into my back, and as I'm pointing it out, I feel a lunmp on my sternum! First time I've ever felt it. I have an apppointment with my doctor this afternoon to check into it. I wonder if it's what's been causing all of my other symptoms, of if those symptoms are what's causing the lump on my sternum and things are only going to get worse. It's very frusterating to go back to the Dr. over and over only to be told to "see and wait". My grandfather died of lung cancer 5 years ago, I don't want to simply "see and wait" as they told him for 6 months before diagnosis.

hello,
Has anyone had any results yet from the doctors? i've had problemswith my sternum for almost a year now, a sharp pain. Apparantly its the xiphoid process, the bottom part of the sternum which is a little displaced. Its really limiting, i havent done sport for a while and it hurts when i lay on my side, move too much my left arm. I can't seem to get a sraight answer from the doctor if it will ever get better or not! any advice would be great. There isnt much info on the web. Takecare all.

I was told that the xaiphoid process (lump) is normal, and if you touch it often it will get sore since it does protrude the skin. I was also told that I was her second patient that week being seen for this. She still sent me for a chest x-ray, however, and it came back negative. Of course this still does not explain all of my other symptoms, but at least we can rule out that it's not a tumor and I don't have lung cancer. So the search continues...

Why hasn't S. Russell come back with a diagnosis? It is now September and nothing.............

I noticed my same golf ball sized lump on the sternum a few months ago and went to the doctor yesterday. The Dr. did not laugh at me, but said that it was probably nothing to worry about. He did send me for an x-ray, however, just to make sure it is okay. I am waiting for those results. I asked the Dr. if a pregnancy could put pressure on the xyphoid process and cause this and he said that was possible. I am only 5'3" and noticed this a few months after delivering my daughter. I tend to have a lot of pressure high in the abdomen with pregnancy and maybe this caused damage or movement to the xyphoid process. He said that as I lose weight from having babies that it could protrude even more and be very obvious. I don't know if anyone else has had this occur after pregnancy, but it seems like a very plausible explanation for changes in the xyphoid process. If I find out anything different from my x-ray, I will post it.

Hi all of you guys.. I too=) have the same protruding lump on the lower part of my chest.. I noticed the exact same night I delivered my daughter.. I was laying in the hospital bed watching tv and for some reason rubbed my chest in a way that when I did I noticed this BIG lump.. I imediately asked my Dr that morning when he came in, and he said he had never seen anything like that happen.. Ha-he was just an obgyn though.. But anyways.. I always linked it to my delivery because I had never noticed it until that night.. So either it wasn't there before or in the 25 years I had been alive I had never accidently rubbed that exact spot on my chest and found it.. Well I showed it to my family dr, and he didnt seem to concerned since it didnt give me any symptoms.. He told me we would keep a watch on it and if it ever became bothersome we would look more into it.. Well over time I did have a few bothersome symptoms like it sort of hurts if I lie flat on my back and sometime sore to the touch.. Nothing too bad, but enough to make me remember to ask again when I had another appt.. He looked it up and said it was my xiphoid process which is the cartiledge at the lower part of the sternum.. It is normal for it to protude some but shouldnt cause much maybe just some minor discomfort.. He told me that cartiledge wouldnt show up on an xray, and advised me unless I really really wanted to dish out the xtra money for a ct scan or mri that he didnt feel it was anything to worry about.. He said really the only thing to fix it would be surgery and that would be my choice.. So I said ok we would just keep watching it.. For changes in size or sypmtoms.. I did ask him about it again at my last appt, and he said if I wanted to he would refer me to a general surgeon if I wanted him to.. And I guess the general surgeon would do test and look into it more as far as treatment options.. And while it really hasn't seemed to change size and the symptoms are still the same.. Just discomfort when I lie on my back, I still tend to worry about it some.. Sooooo I do think that I will finally make him send me for a ct scan or something just to ease my mind.. My daughter is almost 5 though and it hasn't changed any.. And I really wouldnt want to have major surgery unless I had to.. My family dr is awesome, and if it's something he is not sure about he uses all of his online resources to check into things so I am sure if the sternum was a common location of cancerous lumps he would have told me.. He doesn't seem worried about it at all and I do trust him.. So I don't know.. I guess I just would share my story so maybe you guys wouldn't worry about it as bad.. I have had it going on 5 yrs to my knowledge and it seems fine.. If you have any symptoms or any changes in it then I WOULD go have it looked into.. If that dr won't listen find another.. But if it seems to stay the same then it shouldn't be anything harmful, just annoying.. If for some reason I do ever get a ct scan I will come back and let u guys know more.. Good luck all..