Breast pain clinics

Breast pain clinics 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. 

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.

In Lancashire and South Cumbria, there are two breast pain clinics so far and more will follow in future:

East Lancashire

St Peter’s Centre, 42 Church Street, Burnley, BB11 2DL.

Central Lancashire

Greater Lancashire Hospital, Wyder Court, Millennium City Park, Ribbleton, Preston, PR2 5BW.

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.

Sophie’s story

Sophie was one of the first patients to be referred to the new breast pain clinic in Central Lancashire. She said: “I had been experiencing breast pain for a while. It was causing me quite a bit of discomfort and worry because I didn’t know if it might be a sign of a something else.

“I made an appointment with my GP and was referred to a new breast pain clinic.

“I was quite surprised because I didn’t know about the clinic. But the letter was very clear and it made me feel so much better because it said that breast pain on its own without any other symptoms is rarely a sign of breast cancer.

“I went along to the clinic and all the staff there were very welcoming and friendly. I was examined by a nurse consultant who confirmed that they couldn’t feel any lumps and so it was a case of finding ways to treat the breast pain itself.

“They explained to me the different causes of breast pain and gave me some practical advice about how I could reduce it. They suggested that I start taking a supplement that has been shown to reduce breast pain and get myself measured for a well-fitting bra.

“Going to the clinic was a really positive and reassuring experience and I felt very confident in the team’s experience and their ability to help me with the symptoms I was experiencing.

“It’s just a couple of weeks on, but so far the breast pain has reduced a lot and will hopefully that will continue over the coming weeks and months.”

“Breast pain alone is rarely a symptom of cancer. By setting up a breast pain clinic in Burnley we will be able to put our patients at ease and offer them help and advice whilst checking family history and conducting breast examinations.”

Mr Inder Kumar, consultant breast surgeon at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust

“Going to the clinic was a really positive and reassuring experience and I felt very confident in the team’s experience and their ability to help me with the symptoms I was experiencing.”

Sophie, a patient at the Lancashire breast pain clinic