lump in the morning

Sharon345

I had a lumpectomy in Feb 2003 for a 1.2 centimeter no lymph node involement breast cancer, followed with radiation, taking Tamoxifen daily and Zolardex every 28 days. I had my 6 month check up at MD Anderson Cancer Center with a baseline mammogram, a chest xray and a CT scan. None of these showed any signs of anything. But I'm 46 years old and my breasts are still very dense. A few days after the mammogram I noticed that an area between my breast and where they took out my sentinal lymph nodes was sore in the morning when I showered. That was about 2 weeks ago. Now I can feel a long thin lump about (2" long) in that same area but only in the morning when I shower. I usually do my exercises before my shower so that might have something to do with it. After about 30 minutes I can no longer feel anything but I am still sore in the area most of the morning. Does this sound like anything anyone else has? It's hard to decide what I should report to my doctor and what will just go away on its own. By the time I go in to see him he wouldn't be able to feel the lump. Don't cancer lumps not go away? They don't come and go do they? I've never felt a breast lump before. Even my cancer tumor couldn't be felt by a doctor.

inkblot

Hi Sharon:

My first guess would be that your incision site is still healing and going through changes. It can take up to two full years for all the scar tissue from surgery and/or radiation to finally settle. This from my surgeon as well as my rad onc.

At any rate, please get your SURGEON'S advice and let him know what's happening right away. Am betting that it's just the healing process, as I had the "ridge" you mentioned as well, which was just scar tissue which has since dissipated. I never felt a lump in the surgical area but everyone's bodies heal differently.

It's been two years for me now and on occasion, when I've been unusually strenuously physical, I notice some mild soreness in my axilla incision. Doesn't even qualify as pain and is always gone within 24 hours. My surgeon has thoroughly investigated and there's nothing to worry about. It's just how my tissue is in that area now. I did have more soreness but no real pains, etc., earlier on, following my lumpectomy and have learned that many women also have this tenderness for a while.

Keep us posted.

Love, light and laughter,
Ink

ksfc

I agree with ink. It sounds like one of those post surgical or post radiation things, but you should always check it out with your surgeon or your onc. Diane