Breast Swelling 3 Months after Radiation

DaniellaD

I had a lumpectomy followed by 12 rounds of TH and then 4 weeks of aggressive radiation. I breezed through all treatment - a little bit of side effects from herceptin but nothing too debilitating. In the past two weeks my right breast - the lumpectomy/irradiated breast - has started swelling. It seems to be getting bigger everyday. There is no redness or warmth to the area. My Onc did not feel any lumps or masses and attributed it to just fluid build up. The problem is that the swelling has increased in two days time. My nipple is now visibly swollen and I have increased almost 2 cup sizes in 3 weeks. I follow up with my RO today. The breast feels like it's full of water or that feeling when you are breastfeeding and need to express. I am freaking out. Anyone else have this issue?

vlnrph

Lymphedema can be a problem for many of us: check out the forum on this site. Glad to hear you are seeing an MD today. If LE is diagnosed hopefully you will be able to see a qualified therapist to help move that stagnant fluid and learn management techniques. Let us know how it turns out.

Pamela79

Dear Daniella,

I did not experience it, and i cannot find someone who did so far. I would suggest you to increase your intake of anti-inflammatory foods: watercress, spinach, kale, collards, walnuts, strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and oranges.

These foods work wonders for me. But IT IS IMPORTANT you talk to your nutritionist or health care provider before adopting any diet.

Let's fight breast cancer together! (link removed by Mods)

labelle

My breast remains swollen-about a cup size-after lumpectomy and RADS-finished the beginning of Feb. It is heavy and aches, not exactly painful (the infected seroma I had was PAINFUL, red and inflamed and Very swollen but only in the area of the lumpectomy) but tender, rather firm and sort of worrisome since I was told RADS might cause the breast to shrink, not grow!

My breast is swollen on the bottom-nowhere near my lumpectomy and other incision (the one to drain the abscessed seroma) both in the upper outer quadrant of my breast (the seroma and infection were in the area of my lumpectomy) and my nipple is very tender and scaley despite mega moisturizing . The BS who examined me this Tuesday just told me RADS do funny things. Even though I finished them in Feb it often takes quite a bit longer to things to settle down so we can see what the end result will be. I also saw a plastic surgeon on Tuesday at the breast center (to see about filling in the hole in my breast from the abcess). He too said this is a common side effect of RADS-although not as common as shrinkage and will see me again on October-won't even discuss what might be possible in terms of repairing things until more time has passed since RADS ended. We may be done with RADS, but they aren't really done with us.

Not sure if this will help you, but if your skin becomes inflamed, you experiece pain, you begin running a fever, those are of course signs of an infection and not to be ignored, but this heaviness seems to be another not so fun part of RADS

Annette47

I had significant swelling after radiation. According to my radiation oncologist it is normal to have some swelling for up to 2 years after, and that it will (as he put it) wax and wane, with hot humid weather making it worse. I hit the two year mark in March, and for the most part the swelling has gone down - over the winter I noticed that things were back to normal in that regard, but it took well over 18 months. We’ve had a recent spate of hot/humid weather the past week or so and I have had some puffiness, but not as bad as the summer right after rads, and I tend to get whole body puffiness from fluid retention in hot humid weather, so I think most of it is that, not really the rads anymore.

DaniellaD

Neither my oncologist nor my radio. onc. Can figure out whymy breast is swelling. There are no masses, lumps, cysts, redness, tenderness, warmth, and swelling is not near my lumpectomy site. My doctors even consulted other doctors at Sloan because I'm completely asymptomatic except for sudden swelling. I'm thankful there is nothing immediately to be concerned with but then again, I would like to know what's going on. I had my port removed from the same side a couple of months ago or less. There has been no trauma and even if there was, I would have pain. I'm taking the anti-inflammatories as doctors suggested for now. I worry that there is some deep infection, like a p acnes, that would show no outward manifestation of infection. If it keeps getting bigger by Monday, then I will push for an ultrasound. It's not lymphedema bc it's only my breast, the skin is soft, the tissue is soft - it doesn't fit any of the criteria. So that's a relief. Doctors suggested it may be glandular, that the lobes are dilated for some reason. The other breast is not enlarged, so not hormonal. Maybe just radiation waxing and waning as suggested, but it's odd that it would come on now after 3 months post radiation. It's one for the text books. I guess I need to stuff one of those chicken cutlet prosthetics into my other cup to even it out for now bc it's very noticeable. Thank you all!

jramick

Finished rads in 2009. Good to have your docs check the swelling...sometimes the treatment though ruling out any obvious problems is just PATIENCE!!! It took a good two years for warmth and swelling to go down for me!!!! Some days now even 5 years later I feel discomfort and warmth but the swelling is down significantly. After radiation, it takes time for all that tissue to heal!!!

Good luck all!

labelle

I think pushing for an ultrasound is a very good plan. That is how my abscessed seroma was diagnosed and it's a safe, painless and not terribly expensive method of taking a look. If only for your own peace of mind, I think you should try to get it done.

lilmouse

Just wanted to say that you can indeed have lymphedema in your breast without having swelling in your arm. I've been to a lymphedema therapist on and off since treatment last fall, first for cording, and later because I had swelling in my breast, along with puffiness and achiness in my armpit and ribs. She showed me how to do self-massage and it helps quite a bit. I have never had any swelling or other symptoms in my arm, though. If testing doesn't turn up any other problems, maybe it would be worth checking with a lymphedema therapist?

DaniellaD

thanks lilmouse. The doctors examined and said its definitely not lymphedema. It's just regular old radiation side effects. I get my mammo next month, so we will see. The doctors said no ultra sound now because it would likely show a mess from radiation but nothing really to worry about. We will see.

lilmouse

Hopefully it will subside soon. Keep us updated!