hi all
Feel a bit guilty writing this because my results after surgery were so good, no lymph invasion and clear margins. Got my first oncology appointment on monday but such a huge hard lump at excision site, is this normal?
I had to go back day after lumpectomy as I had a haematoma so more surgery and I wonder if that’s slowing the healing process. Could this lump just be scar tissue? It’s so uncomfortable but after such good results don’t like to bother hospital again.
advice would be gratefully received
much love to you all
kate
Hi - sounds normal to me - scar tissue or trauma were surgeon has re-arranged things - ring BCC helpline or your breast nurse after 9am they will confirm if ok xxxxx Lyn xxxxx
Kate
It could just be swelling. That can feel really hard.
Ann x
Hi
I’m 18 months post surgery and still have a hard lump at the excision
site. ‘Nothing to worry about’ I’m told and I don’t now although I did in the early days.
Mal x
Hi
I had surgery in June with clear margins and no lymph node involvement. For the last 2 months my breast has become painful and i can feel a hard lump down the right side of breast where I had the lumpectomy.
I mentioned it to my oncologist at the last 2 visits and was told prob just scar tissue, then I had a letter this week from my surgeon to say note passed from oncologist and she would like to check it out. The appoinment is tomorrow and I am so worried that the cancer has come back…can it come back that quick? (just finished chemo) my breast has def changed shape in the last 2 weeks and is quite swollen, it looks like my milk has come in when I had my little boy!
In a way I am glad it is getting checked out and I would insist that you are checked out too. I was going to ask to see the surgeon for an ultra sound before the letter came. i’ll let you know what they say…fingers crossed it is just fluid or scar tissue.
If you’re worried, get it checked out. I have a hard area next to my scar, which the onc checked when I asked and he was fine with it just being hardening to do with rads.
If in doubt check it out.
I have a large, firm swollen area beginning at scar in my armpit which sort of extends to the scar on my boob. As if the surgeon tried to tunnel through to the armpit from my boob then changed his mind. I was worried about it too, but have been told it’s scar tissue a few times, because I keep asking. My Oncologist had a good feel around a week ago and she’s happy too. I also had a very large haematoma and then a seroma after surgery, I don’t know if that’s a factor. It must be more common than we realise.
Hi Kate
I don’t want to rain on your parade but when I was first diagnosed with BC I had a small tumour, clear margins and no node involvement, I had a WLE, chemo and rads. Three years later I found a small lump under the tiny scar on my breast, I mentioned this at my 6 monthly check-up and was told my recent mammogram was clear and that it was probably scar tissue. When I saw my onc at my next check-up I said I wasn’t happy about this lump, he did a biopsy which revealled that it was a re-occurence and the subsequent bone scan showed I had bone mets. I wish I had insisted on a biopsy earlier as I feel it could have been dealt with before it had time to spread. It could have saved my life.
As your surgery is so recent, I’m sure that it will be to do with that or the rads, but don’t be afraid to make a nuisance of yourself in order to get an absolute diagnosis because I feel the doctors are too quick to say its scar tissue without being certain that that is the case.
Good Luck
Linda
I had my surgery (WLE, lymph node clearance) in early March. About 3 days after surgery I developed a seroma at the tumour site, which has resulted in fibrosis and skin adhesion. It’s very lumpy, fairly tender, and the skin is crumpled up resulting in my nipple pointing in a rather strange direction. I’m told it is just fibrosis & nothing to worry about. I go to see my surgeon today to see what remedial surgery he can do (it will be just “releasing the adhered skin”, rather than dealing with the fibrosis). It is all a bit worrying in that you do have to wonder how quickly a recurrence could be spotted through all that lumpiness.
Anyway, to echo what others have said, you do need to make sure you feel reassured that it’s all ok, and if it means being a bit “pushy”, so be it.
Good luck
Phili