Breast still tender 1yr later after lumpectomy

Pinkpower
Pinkpower Member Posts: 437
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Anyone else who had a lumpectomy, is your breast still very tender. Mine is, especially around the areola which is where the tumor was removed from. I had chemo and radiation. It got a lot more tender after radiation. Just wondering if this is normal and if anyone else has notice the swollen and tenderness still especially since its been a year since I had the tumor removed.
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Comments

  • Boppy_of_6
    Boppy_of_6 Member Posts: 1,138
    #2
    Sounds familiar
    It will be one year in March since my lumpectomy. I also had chemo and rads. I have been very tender esp. since rads. I asked my Onc. and he said it was normal. The nerves are still healing and regenerating. My breast still feels a little swollen too. My incision was on the outer part of my breast but it is still tender. Hope this helps. God Bless
    (((Hugs))) Janice
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #3
    I had surgery almost 3 yrs
    I had surgery almost 3 yrs ago..and yes still tender..esp. if i lean against something..or reach/stretch to get something...NOT painful but reminds me of surgery there. I had lump and radiation
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #4
    I had surgery almost 3 yrs
    I had surgery almost 3 yrs ago..and yes still tender..esp. if i lean against something..or reach/stretch to get something...NOT painful but reminds me of surgery there. I had lump and radiation
  • creampuff91344
    creampuff91344 Member Posts: 988
    #5
    disneyfan2008 said:

    I had surgery almost 3 yrs
    I had surgery almost 3 yrs ago..and yes still tender..esp. if i lean against something..or reach/stretch to get something...NOT painful but reminds me of surgery there. I had lump and radiation

    Tender
    Surgery will be 3 years ago in April, and I still have a lot of tenderness in the incision area. My oncologist told me that some people never lose the pain in that area. (Something to look forward to, huh?) Sounds like lots of people have the continued tenderness, so nothing to worry about. Just keep telling your doctor when you have your visits to keep him aware of your condition, or if it gets worse. Hugs, Judy
  • Betsy13
    Betsy13 Member Posts: 185
    #6
    1 year in February
    and still very tender. Some days it is worse than others. I can't go out in the cold for any length of time because it hurts and the pain goes into my chest from nipple to nipple. I'm going to my rad. onc. next week so I'm checking with her, but she did tell me that it would be a good year before it was all gone. Every now and then I get a shooting pain, but mainly just aches now. I had lump and rads.

    Hope this helps,
    Betsy
  • roseann4
    roseann4 Member Posts: 992 Member
    #7
    Betsy13 said:

    1 year in February
    and still very tender. Some days it is worse than others. I can't go out in the cold for any length of time because it hurts and the pain goes into my chest from nipple to nipple. I'm going to my rad. onc. next week so I'm checking with her, but she did tell me that it would be a good year before it was all gone. Every now and then I get a shooting pain, but mainly just aches now. I had lump and rads.

    Hope this helps,
    Betsy

    Same issue almost 2 years later.
    My right breast is still tender. I was told by my oncologist as well as my surgeon that it was due to the radiation. They both said that it would be tender FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE! So, I guess I better get used to it because I plan to be here for a very long time.

    Roseann
  • Akiss4me
    Akiss4me Member Posts: 2,188
    #8
    Still tender for me too!
    I am about 1 1/2 years out and I am very tender! The way my Radiation Oncologist explained it to me was that the radiation will actually 'shrink wrap' your tissue inside. So that everytime you move or poke the area, it 'pulls' on the tissue and causes pain. It only takes the slightest touch to 'move' the tissue that doesn't want to 'give'. To me, it's like having PMS in that boobie ALL the time...ache, ache, ache! So now I am in the process of learning to live with it in case it never goes away (which is a possibility). It can be an unfortunate long term side effect of radiation.
    Hope yours gets better with time...
    ♥Pammy
  • Pinkpower
    Pinkpower Member Posts: 437
    #9
    Akiss4me said:

    Still tender for me too!
    I am about 1 1/2 years out and I am very tender! The way my Radiation Oncologist explained it to me was that the radiation will actually 'shrink wrap' your tissue inside. So that everytime you move or poke the area, it 'pulls' on the tissue and causes pain. It only takes the slightest touch to 'move' the tissue that doesn't want to 'give'. To me, it's like having PMS in that boobie ALL the time...ache, ache, ache! So now I am in the process of learning to live with it in case it never goes away (which is a possibility). It can be an unfortunate long term side effect of radiation.
    Hope yours gets better with time...
    ♥Pammy

    THANK U, THANK U, Everyone,
    THANK U, THANK U, Everyone, I feel so much better now, knowing that its I guess normal.

    Love u all

    Lupe
  • Double Whammy
    Double Whammy Member Posts: 2,832 Member
    #10
    Pinkpower said:

    THANK U, THANK U, Everyone,
    THANK U, THANK U, Everyone, I feel so much better now, knowing that its I guess normal.

    Love u all

    Lupe

    Whew
    Thanks for this thread. My breast was just fine until after radiation was over (Dec 1). Now it aches and is tender. Since it didn't hurt b4 radiation, I figured it was related to the rads, but it is really helpful to know this. "They" didn't tell me about this!

    Suzanne
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #11
    creampuff91344 said:

    Tender
    Surgery will be 3 years ago in April, and I still have a lot of tenderness in the incision area. My oncologist told me that some people never lose the pain in that area. (Something to look forward to, huh?) Sounds like lots of people have the continued tenderness, so nothing to worry about. Just keep telling your doctor when you have your visits to keep him aware of your condition, or if it gets worse. Hugs, Judy

    Creampuff
    My 3 yr anniversary for surgery is April as well...the 3rd...

    I never mentioned to dr..but reading here i feel better..NOT JUST ME
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #12
    creampuff91344 said:

    Tender
    Surgery will be 3 years ago in April, and I still have a lot of tenderness in the incision area. My oncologist told me that some people never lose the pain in that area. (Something to look forward to, huh?) Sounds like lots of people have the continued tenderness, so nothing to worry about. Just keep telling your doctor when you have your visits to keep him aware of your condition, or if it gets worse. Hugs, Judy

    Creampuff
    My 3 yr anniversary for surgery is April as well...the 3rd...

    I never mentioned to dr..but reading here i feel better..NOT JUST ME
  • Betsy13
    Betsy13 Member Posts: 185
    #13
    Double Whammy said:

    Whew
    Thanks for this thread. My breast was just fine until after radiation was over (Dec 1). Now it aches and is tender. Since it didn't hurt b4 radiation, I figured it was related to the rads, but it is really helpful to know this. "They" didn't tell me about this!

    Suzanne

    great...
    I just love what the docs 'forget' to tell you. My rad. onc. told me it would be about a year...now I'm reading here other rad. onc. say for life? That it is affected by radiation? Great. Just what I need on top of everything else.
  • sbmly53
    sbmly53 Member Posts: 1,522
    #14
    Me, too.
    A year in December and I have soreness and even pain at times.

    Sue
  • taleena
    taleena Member Posts: 1,612 Member
    #15
    sbmly53 said:

    Me, too.
    A year in December and I have soreness and even pain at times.

    Sue

    Still very tender here
    Still very tender here too... lumpectomy in May/June of 2009 radiation finished October of 2009 and I'm still tender... It really does make me feel better to know that I'm not the only one... although I'm not real happy to know that some of our sisters more than 3 years out are still tender... ugh... Okay, now I want to know.... is there anyone who has had lumpectomy/radiation that is not tender/sore ... and how long has it been for you??? Gotta give us girls something to look forward too!

    Hugs,
    ~T
  • aisling8
    aisling8 Member Posts: 1,627 Member
    #16
    taleena said:

    Still very tender here
    Still very tender here too... lumpectomy in May/June of 2009 radiation finished October of 2009 and I'm still tender... It really does make me feel better to know that I'm not the only one... although I'm not real happy to know that some of our sisters more than 3 years out are still tender... ugh... Okay, now I want to know.... is there anyone who has had lumpectomy/radiation that is not tender/sore ... and how long has it been for you??? Gotta give us girls something to look forward too!

    Hugs,
    ~T

    Me too!
    It will be a year in March and for a while I felt nothing, but the nerves are regenerating and now I get kind of stabbing pain sometimes and the breast is always tender. I notice it mostly at night because I'm a stomach sleeper:)

    But........it's far from horrendous, certainly a pain I can live with, and if that and the Arimidex is the extent of my problems, I will be a happy woman.

    xoxo
    Victoria
  • survivorbc09
    survivorbc09 Member Posts: 4,374 Member
    #17
    creampuff91344 said:

    Tender
    Surgery will be 3 years ago in April, and I still have a lot of tenderness in the incision area. My oncologist told me that some people never lose the pain in that area. (Something to look forward to, huh?) Sounds like lots of people have the continued tenderness, so nothing to worry about. Just keep telling your doctor when you have your visits to keep him aware of your condition, or if it gets worse. Hugs, Judy

    I am not glad that all of
    I am not glad that all of you have this tenderness too, but, glad that I am not alone. Mine is still tender too, and, my rads oncologist said it was because of rads. However, he said it might go away. It isn't that bad, not really painful, just noticeable.

    Jan
  • Sissybug
    Sissybug Member Posts: 10
    #18
    Breast tender
    Dear Pink I just completed one year and three months of Chemo and Radiation this past Friday,I experience pain 24/7 around the breast area and rib cage, my arm is still swollen and feels like a log sometimes.I feel the most pain during the night,I can't seem to get fixed in the bed just right to prevent this pain,any position I sleep in just doesn't work for me. However,I feel this is something I can certainly learn to live with after all I have been through this past year and a half. My doctor did say however that this pain may very well be there for years to come. My life is beautiful, I feel brand new again just minus a boob.
  • creampuff91344
    creampuff91344 Member Posts: 988
    #19
    Sissybug said:

    Breast tender
    Dear Pink I just completed one year and three months of Chemo and Radiation this past Friday,I experience pain 24/7 around the breast area and rib cage, my arm is still swollen and feels like a log sometimes.I feel the most pain during the night,I can't seem to get fixed in the bed just right to prevent this pain,any position I sleep in just doesn't work for me. However,I feel this is something I can certainly learn to live with after all I have been through this past year and a half. My doctor did say however that this pain may very well be there for years to come. My life is beautiful, I feel brand new again just minus a boob.

    Hey DisneyFan
    Seems like we are more than pink sisters.....my lumpectomy was on April 3, 2008, the same as yours. Looks like we have a lot in common. Coming up on three for us, and still I feel like crap...how about you? Happy New Year to all. Hugs, Judy
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #20
    creampuff91344 said:

    Hey DisneyFan
    Seems like we are more than pink sisters.....my lumpectomy was on April 3, 2008, the same as yours. Looks like we have a lot in common. Coming up on three for us, and still I feel like crap...how about you? Happy New Year to all. Hugs, Judy

    Creampuff
    I am very lucky and greatful...no side effects from radiation at all...no fatigue, no burning, drying, not tired etc..worked full time and did treatments on my lunch...

    I found out on here that if very uncommon...the more i read..which makes me more greatful..

    Happy New year to you too..
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #21
    creampuff91344 said:

    Hey DisneyFan
    Seems like we are more than pink sisters.....my lumpectomy was on April 3, 2008, the same as yours. Looks like we have a lot in common. Coming up on three for us, and still I feel like crap...how about you? Happy New Year to all. Hugs, Judy

    Creampuff
    I am very lucky and greatful...no side effects from radiation at all...no fatigue, no burning, drying, not tired etc..worked full time and did treatments on my lunch...

    I found out on here that if very uncommon...the more i read..which makes me more greatful..

    Happy New year to you too..

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