Hi All, I had a lumpsectomy and mammoplasty in September so 10 months ago - September 2023. ER PR positive so hormonal type , invasive - Yes, Tumour was 1.6 mm and then 2 other parts in the same breast but different areas of DCIS. Quite a big Operation to be honest as all spread out.
Followed by intense radiotherapy treatment for 5 days (so sandwiched into 5 days) December 2023
Started Tamoxifen in January 2024 so been on it about 6 months
I am still so sore and my breast is still so Hot and enflamed!
Has anyone else experienced these kind of side effects 6/7 months down the line from Radiotherapy.??
I think you should contact your BCN and get your breast assessed re the heat and inflammation if nothing else . I’m saying this because after I developed a lump in my breast which I was very worried about I got a Breast Clinic appointment and to my surprise the BCN wasn’t worried about the lump ( which was just an oil cyst ) but she was concerned that my breast was still inflamed hot and swollen and said that if it didn’t improve I would need to be referred to the Lymphoedema Nurse . This was 3 months after radiotherapy had finished and it had improved a lot by then and wasn’t particularly sore though very itchy . It did settle down on its own in the end but took ages .
It sounds like you may need a bit of help and you should definitely be on their radar .
She said to me that it was important to keep up with moisturizing , the post - op exercises and to keep wearing a very supportive bra - all of which I was doing but it sounds as though you may need more than that .
It could be that the continued inflammation is making your breast sensitive and prolonging the pain .
Hi fizzler,
I have a very similar situation to what you describe: 18mm tumour + 50mm dcis area in the same breast (all removed WLE) 5 sessions of radiotherapy ended on February 2nd, tamoxifen since mid January.
Before radiotherapy my surgery breast was 1/3 smaller than the other breast, notwit’s 1/3 bigger (so it has doubled its size), hot at touch and sore. Was checked in March and April by the radiotherapy unit and onc in May.
Onc said I have to wait until next appointment (November, 9 months after finishing radiotherapy) and then they might refer me to lymphoedema unit, that this “takes time”.
A GP friend told me this could be a seroma and pretty much same as @JoanneN commented here on this thread.
Sorry I don’t have any solution to offer, if anything is suggested to me in November I will come and comment. Most probably by then everything is sorted out to you (and me!).
I can see you have had lots of excellent advise, please don’t sitting on this get in touch with your breast cancer team today, they need to see and sort you out, unfortunately I was always worried I was being a nuisance, I ended up being back in hospital, when I could have saved myself.
Wishing you well going forward, make yourself number one, take good care. One day at a time my brave lady.
I still think it would be worth you contacting your BCN about this especially if there’s been no improvement since it was last assessed as they specialize in breast day to day unlike your Onc who probably deals with multiple specialities. If the Lymphoedema Practitioner is a Nurse or a Physio the BCN me be able to refer you directly without going through a Dr. if that’s needed .They may also be able to provide something that will help it settle down a bit faster. It does take time that true but I don’t think you need to be just putting up with this until November without any input . Xx
