Periosteum Burn on Rib Cage After Radiation

Chellebug
Chellebug Member Posts: 133
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I asked the following on the Long-Term Side Effects discussion board and haven't heard back from anyone. Thought I'd see if any of my fellow sisters/brothers have an answer:

Just wondering if anyone has had this experience. I finished radiation treatments the first week of August '08 after a mastectomy. I still have a few spots that hurt...nothing really helps. I've tried large doses of motrin, ice, exercise, swimming, physical therapy to break up the scar tissue adhesions. Just two weeks prior to radiation I had to have my chemo-port removed because it was in the radiation field. There's quite a large divot where the port used to be. My physical therapist believes that the surgeon cut down to the bone in that spot and that I could have gotten a periosteum burn from the radiation on that part of my rib.

None of my doctors believe it is a bone metastasis, so they are not ordering any additional scans because my bone scans in October came back fine.

So, any advice in how to deal with this chronic pain would be welcome? Will it ever go away?

Thanks,
Chelle

Comments

  • mgm42
    mgm42 Member Posts: 491 Member
    #2
    Radiation
    I can't comment on the periostenum burn, but I can tell you what I just learned from my oncologist last week. I, too, had severe burns on three areas of my breast, which have healed. It has been 7 months since I completed radiation of the left breast after my lumpectomy but I still have some residual pain. At times it feels like the quick stab of nerves, other times its a tenderness in the tissue reminiscent of pre-menstural disconmfort, and at others, its just raw, nagging pain. My oncologist explained that radiation causes molecular changes within the tissue and that it takes 3 years for all of these changes to subside. Hence, the discomfort. I don't know if this helps your situation or not, but I was relieved to know this seeing as I thought I was having a recurrence. Good luck, kiddo. Hugs, Marilynn
  • seof
    seof Member Posts: 819 Member
    #3
    I can't be of much help
    I can't be of much help because my experience with radiation was relatively trouble-free, and I still have the port...so far no complications. I can only say I am sorry you are having such a hard time, and maybe someone else will give you a more useful answer.

    you are in our prayers, seof
  • Chellebug
    Chellebug Member Posts: 133
    #4
    mgm42 said:

    Radiation
    I can't comment on the periostenum burn, but I can tell you what I just learned from my oncologist last week. I, too, had severe burns on three areas of my breast, which have healed. It has been 7 months since I completed radiation of the left breast after my lumpectomy but I still have some residual pain. At times it feels like the quick stab of nerves, other times its a tenderness in the tissue reminiscent of pre-menstural disconmfort, and at others, its just raw, nagging pain. My oncologist explained that radiation causes molecular changes within the tissue and that it takes 3 years for all of these changes to subside. Hence, the discomfort. I don't know if this helps your situation or not, but I was relieved to know this seeing as I thought I was having a recurrence. Good luck, kiddo. Hugs, Marilynn

    Some Relief
    Thanks, Marilynn. It does give me some relief. I suppose I just need to hang in there and keep taking my motrin.

Discussion Boards