Breast still swollen and sore a year after surgery

MKTOC92315

It has been a year since my lumpectomy and my breast is still swollen and sore. Chemo was finished in March and radiation completed in May. I have my first mammogram coming up on November 3rd and am afraid it is going to hurt like hell! The anxiety of getting the first mammogram is bad enough, but adding the worry about the pain (I have fairly large breasts) is really throwing me into a tailspin. Has anyone else felt the same?

NancyHB

My breast was permanently swollen (about a cup size larger) and tender for a year or so after I completed radiation. Eventually the pain resolved but my breast did remain larger than my non-radiated breast. My RO said it was due to rads and tissue changes, and would likely remain that way. I ended up having a mastectomy after my recent recurrence with immediate DIEP reconstruction, and even now, 4 years later, the damage from rads is fairly evident. My PS says that after radiation the lymphatic system in the breast is often damaged and fluid can build up, unable to move through breast channels properly.