I’m really worried :(( I’ve developed what looks like blackheads all around the outside of my aureola (sp?) it’s like they are in the pores, they are black/dark brown coloured. I also have a very small mole on my nipple and that has a small black crust on it.
I’ve of course googled this and the only SE i can find from Rads like this is radiotherapy induced melanoma (skin cancer) due to rads, which is rare but not unheard of.
I left a msg for my BCN yesterday but didn’t get to my phone in time when she called me back and I’ve had to wait overnight, worrying.
left another msg this morning, but they dont tend to call back until after 3pm every day.
My mind is in overdrive.
Has anyone else had this and it’s something not sinister?!
Hi El K - I’m not really back to posting but spotted this and wanted to rush to your aid!
Hopefully your BCN will get back to you soon.
Quite a lot of people (me included)seem to get little black specks after rads which are dead hairs/follicles just under the skin. I don’t have an areola but have a scar where the edge of it would be (tmi, sorry) but had some little specks round that, the hair bits eventually fell out and left me with normal looking pores.
Some pigmentation after radiotherapy is quite common, and isn’t very likely to be cancer - if you think how sunburn sometimes settles and freckles form, it’s a bit like that only much more so. Your poor boob has been well and truly nuked (I used to work in the iudustry so I understand the doses)!
You are right to get it checked but most likely it’s just your poor skin trying to mend itself.
Hope you’re otherwise OK… right that’s me off again… twitch twitch, I WILL beat this addiction
RevCat - thanks for breaking your silence
I hadn’t ever come across anyone who had this so thats a relief to hear and could well be what it is, they do look like they are settled in pores.
I was thinking also that rads induced melanoma surely wouldn’t come up just 2 weeks after rads.
Feeling a bit less panicky now from hearing that, thanks!
Obv I’ll still have it checked out to be on the safe side.
I’m about 8 weeks post rad and I experienced this too. But its slowly disappearing. Be prepared for large flaking of skin too!
In case its useful - at the end of rads I was wondering if they’d really done anything my breast looked so normal.
About two weeks after rads I got a kind of burn underneath my breast which was very sore for a few days. At the same time all around my nipple area great flakes of skin came off and my nipple was very delicate for a couple of weeks - presumably because of the new skin. My scar became very prominent.
Now, apart from some discoloration its all looking great. Pores still a bit open, but rapidly returning to normal.
I’ve had 10 out of my 20 RADS now and my nipple is starting to get very sensitive and sore. Skin all looking great apart from lumpy WLE and SLN scars but wonder if I should be asking for something to help it along at this stage?
Any advice welcomed. And Revcat, it’s lovely to still see you here so don’t apologise!
HI Crabbit - yes that sounds very familiar. I only used E45 on my nipple. I did have some gel for broken skin which i had to use in the crease under my breast which got quite raw.
and El Katrano - after I last posted I went and had another good look and the ‘blackhead’ effect is slowly wearing off. I’m still a tad blue from the dye months ago though!
