Growing Scar Tissue?

Musosgirl

About a month ago I started getting pain and soreness on my right side which is my lumpectomy side. It would ache at night and I would try massaging the area—I started feeling swollen spots that I figured were lymph nodes. That has persisted AND about a week ago my scar tissue started changing. I used to have a well-defined little egg shaped hunkof scar tissue—but now the area is bigger and flatter. I saw my BS’s NP today and she didn’t see anything on ultrasound. I am struggling with Tamoxifen right now (AI’s were a disaster, so this is my last ditch effort to stay on anti-estrogens), so with the possibility of me quitting only 3 years in, she wants to do an MRI to penetrate the scar tissue and make sure it’s all clear.

So, hopefully everything is fine! Yay! But the scar mass HAS changed and she mentioned I could be adding more scar tissue. She didn’t elaborate, so I want to ask here if anyone else has experienced this. (I am not doing anything new, repetitive movements or exercise or new routine, to maybe explain this.). How does scar tissue “grow?”

djmammo

Musosgirl

Changes in the area of the lumpectomy scar that can be seen on imaging include tumor recurrence, a post op fluid collection that is either getting bigger or smaller, and fat necrosis, a benign process commonly seen after breast surgery that can include dense calcifications. An MRI should be able to sort those out for you.