Radiation effects on breast

I just finished radiation
I just finished radiation (33 treatments) and have noticed very little change. The area was red but is returning to its regular shade. I thought there would be a more noticeable change. Of course, everyone is different, but it is barely noticeable. I wish your wife the best of luck in her treatments.

johnss said:

I apologize for sounding like I only cared about looks!!
We have had the biopsy and lumpectomy. She is a wonderful person who I love. I only care about her getting well. The doctors have read the pathology report (we read too) and she had DCIS in stage zero with clear margins.
We are checking to see if we can just use radiation with no drugs, the drugs scares us. Too many chances of bad side effects.
I wish to thank anyone who take the time to help us thru this stressful time.
This is a very good support system.

Hi John
Just wanted to tell you that I just completed radiation (35 treatments) 2 weeks ago. Yes, there will be a degree of change in the breast, but most likely temporarily. My breast seems to be returning back to normal at a very rapid pace. It did go from pink, to darker pink, to the darkest tan I ever had. The breast did become firmer (which I understood may remain that way, but not a bad thing) and it was tender (couldn't sleep on it). Now it is just peeling as if I had a little to much sun. These things are mostly temporary and very much doable. My hubby thought I looked terrible by the end (but it didn't feel as bad as it looked) and is amazed how quickly it is returning to normal. I understand you and your wife's anxiety, but appearance of the breast is not that bad an issue to worry about! She'll be fine. ♥Pammy

Not much difference.
The surgery changed my breast. I had breast conserving surgery and my right breast looks perkier than my left. I finished my radiation 2 months ago and there is no difference in the color or texture of the skin. I still have a hard area where they removed tissue because it the hole was filled with fibrous tissue. My husband thinks itlooks better than my "health" breast. Good luck to you both.

Roseann

Hope this helps
The main thing is just to support your wife and to help her in anyway that you can.

I haven't been done with rads long, so, I will answer your questions inre to me.

The radiation didn't change the appearance that much of my breast.

I got a little pink in a couple of places, just got a little red around my collarbone. My breast still is a little harder than my other one, which they say is scar tissue and will go away. So, that gives it the appearance of being bigger.

The hardness will go away. And, some never even have the hardness. Some breasts get smaller, not larger. Everyone is different.

My breast didn't tan as some say theirs did. I was told by my cancer center and my radiation oncologist that because their machine was so new, I wouldn't get the tan. They said that only comes with older machines.

My breast skin looks and feels like baby's skin. The skin is beautiful, but, I took good care of it too. I used the creams and babied it.

Hope this helps. But, talk to her rads oncologist. And, they should have a lot of literature for you to read, mine did.

Good luck!

Kylez ♥

datapoint
I also had DCIS with lumpectomy and radiation. I burned fairly badly but that all done with--I finished rads in April. My breast is brown and the nipple is still *very* pink where it peeled. Of course, it didn't peel uniformly so it's a little weird. But I figure it's still there so I'm happy. I had hardness after the surgery (January) but did not notice any after radiation. It is actually gotten softer but there is still a hematoma according to the mammography I had 2 months ago.

Maureen

johnss said:

I apologize for sounding like I only cared about looks!!
We have had the biopsy and lumpectomy. She is a wonderful person who I love. I only care about her getting well. The doctors have read the pathology report (we read too) and she had DCIS in stage zero with clear margins.
We are checking to see if we can just use radiation with no drugs, the drugs scares us. Too many chances of bad side effects.
I wish to thank anyone who take the time to help us thru this stressful time.
This is a very good support system.

I am sorry too, John...
for appearing to be insensitive to your original post.
You are obviously a loving, supportive husband and God knows no woman should have to go through something like this without her sweetheart's total involvement. I commend you for standing by her, and I hope you will continue to allow us to be of any help we can in the process.
God bless you both.

cats_toy said:

radiation
I had radiation for 7 weeks and 4 boosters. The radiated tissue did burn, even though it was a very new machine, they stated if that area had ever been burned before, there is a higher chance of it burning thru radiation (mine had-I was a hippy in the 70's!). So, burn, peel, and continue burning. But nothing we can't handle. The skin, now after two years, was still much darker and thicker. Never really mattered to me, figuring anything we can do to lessen our percentage of recurrence is a good thing. Same with chemo, it may suck the big one (it does), but the alternative of possibly leaving cancer cells in the body to continue thier merry way?? No way. I think the majority of us here believe this too. Good luck with your wife's treatment and let us know how it goes for her.
Cat

Rads
I just recently finished radiation treatments. My radiated breast did swell and is still swollen somewhat. But, it should go back to normal eventually. I just got a little burn near my collarbone, but, not even bad enough that it peeled. The cancer center I went to had a brand new machine, and as I was told, I did not tan. I was also told that only the older machines produce the tan on you. I started putting the creams on my skin from day one and kept using them for 2 weeks afterwords. My skin is like a baby's behind. It has never looked this good. And, I lost the hair under my arm and I have no sweat glands there, so, no need for deodorant and no shaving! So, TWO things good came out of it. lol Good luck to your wife!


Lex♥

johnss said:

I apologize for sounding like I only cared about looks!!
We have had the biopsy and lumpectomy. She is a wonderful person who I love. I only care about her getting well. The doctors have read the pathology report (we read too) and she had DCIS in stage zero with clear margins.
We are checking to see if we can just use radiation with no drugs, the drugs scares us. Too many chances of bad side effects.
I wish to thank anyone who take the time to help us thru this stressful time.
This is a very good support system.

Hmmmmm......
Cancer is scarier than drugs in my opinion....and if you read the posts of those of us who are or have had chemo, It's VERY DOABLE......they have come such a long way with drugs that take care of side effects......it isn't even like it was 5 years ago....I, personally, never had the first wave of nausea......it's no day at the beach, but not as bad as most imagine.

I wish your wife the best.........Hang in there....

Katz77 said:

john
I haven't started my rads yet, but my thoughts and prayers are w u both. This is an excellant site for inspiration, answers and support. Keep us informed, because I know I will be learning for u both also. Katz

John
I finished rads the beginning of June. I had soreness and burning underneath and the radiologist prescribed some great creams. Make sure they do that for your wife. My breast has returned to normal, albeit a little smaller and misshapen after the lumpectomy. Mammo yesterday showed it was denser than it was, but I can't feel any difference. Good luck to you and your wife, and tell her she and you are in our prayers while she goes through with this.
Pat