Not sure where to start with this. 3 months after having final radiotherapy (lumpectomy/SN removal), I am still very swollen and the breast feels almost hard. Still a lot of dye on show and a terrible rash of small, painful white lumps which itch like mad underneath the breast. On top of this I feel a pain deep in the breast, nowhere near the surgery sites.
Is this normal? I don’t really want to take up the BCNs time if it’s a normal reaction.
TIA xx
Hi @carmslass
Get in touch with your Breast Care Nurses - this is why they are here . It sounds like you need to be assessed and they will want to know about this.They might not want to do anything but you should be on their radar . I went 3 months post - radiotherapy with a lump that turned out to be just fat necrosis but the BCN was concerned because my breast was still very red and a bit swollen ( it was improving so I hadn’t contacted them ) so it was good that I had gone as I then knew to get back in touch if it didn’t improve on its own which it did albeit slowly . I had a lot of itching but no lumps or broken skin .
Radiotherapy causes your breast to change shape and some of the tissues to tighten which could be causing the pain - especially as it’s swollen. Mine did hurt though the fat necrosis was painful for a while so it was hard to tell what was causing what.
Take care xx
Dear Carmsless,
So sorry to read you are so uncomfortable, you need to contact your breast cancer team as Joanne mentioned.
Please don’t feel you are being a nuisance because you’re not, however I feel you need to be checked out.
Wishing you well going forward, please let us know how you’re getting on.
Love Tili 
Thank you. I have made an appointment to pop in to see them.
Look after yourself x
Ah that’s good - and thanks xx
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Hi carmslass
Thank you for your post.
It sounds like you are having a difficult time following breast surgery and radiotherapy.
We do hear from people who having ongoing swelling and hardness in the breast after surgery and radiotherapy, and it can be distressing. Side effects after radiotherapy can still occur in the months after treatment finishes. It is important to talk through any difficulties you are experiencing with symptoms with your breast care nurse, it’s not taking up their time. As @JoannneN and @Tili say they are there to help manage any ongoing problems both physical and emotional ones, and from your more recent post you have now made an appointment which is good to hear.
The dye used for sentinel node biopsy occasionally can take time for the discolouration to disappear.
Talking to someone who has had a similar experience can often be helpful. Our Someone Like Me service can match you with a trained volunteer who’s had a similar experience to you. You can be in touch with your volunteer by phone or email and they can share their personal experiences to answer your questions, offer support or simply listen to how you are feeling.
You can ring the Someone Like Me team on 0800 138 6551 or email them at someone.likeme@breastcancernow.org, so they can then match you to your volunteer.
Many people are surprised at how emotional they feel when their treatment finishes. For many people, it’s not always ‘back to normal’ when they finish hospital treatment for primary breast cancer. For some, it can mean leaving behind the routine and support they’ve become used to. Adapting to life after treatment can be difficult and often the need for information and support continues. Coping with the shock of a diagnosis, treatment and side effects, and worries about recurrence can make it difficult to readjust to everyday life again.
You may be interested in our Moving Forward resources that are for people who have had a diagnosis of primary breast cancer and have come to the end of their main hospital treatment within the last 2 years. They include our Moving Forward booklet and Moving Forward courses.
You can attend Moving Forward either at our face-to-face course or take part by joining online. Find a course near you or register for an online course via the links above or call us on 03457 077 1893.
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