Pain in Breast 7 years post Radiation

Anonymous

Pain in Breast 7 years post Radiation

Brutersmom

I am seven years post radiation therapy on my right breast. I am very active and work out regularly. I have had very few issues. All my mammograms have been normal except showing fibrosis of the right breast. I was discharged early from my cancer doctors because I was not able to tolerate Hormone Therapy. Over the several last years, I have been noticing decrease strength in my right arm along with hardness and pain in what feels like pectoral muscle. I am also getting muscle spasms in the muscles at the top of my ribcage with certain movement. All these areas are inside the radiation area. I mentioned it to my GP and he didn't seem to know what to suggest. I have little confidence in the Cancer clinic in this area. After radiation, I would have pain with reaching for things. It was this group that got me asking the right questions and got help for that. I am hoping that someone can share some incites that will help me ask the right questions and get me to the right physicians so that i can get some relief. I will add that strength exercise and daily stretching do keep it managed. This issue is I am finding I need stretch more and more.

MagicalBean

Hi, brutersmom. Good question. I am also about 7 years post rads. The strength issue/hardness has not appeared but I do get occasional spasms in the radiation path when I move just right. If I stretch a bit it releases. How odd.

ParakeetsRule

I'd be checking in with an oncologist to rule out a recurrence.

Brutersmom

Mammogram negative. Oncologist won't see me without a positive diagnosis. I fought really hard after radiation to get to see the lymphodemdema specialist for scaring from radiation. I would cry when I reach for things. Pain was a 10. This group helped me understand what was going on back then and educated me ask the right questions. I am hoping they can do it again. I need to push for something more testing I just don’t know what.

RatherBeSailing

Brutersmom, I am also physically active and have all those symptoms - and have had them since shortly after completing treatment. And radiation fibrosis is definitely a factor - the damage can be slow to manifest.

If your cancer center is unwilling to address this issue I would run, not walk, away from them and find a physiatrist MD who can assess your situation. They can order PT to help with stretching and strengthening. You could ask the physiatrist for a referral to a lymphedema therapist (LT) for evaluation, which is not at all an unreasonable considering the treatment you had and the weakness you are experiencing. Just understand that the two modalities - PT and LT - are complementary but different as the LT isn't working on the fibrosis, but rather ensuring that lymph flow is optimal. So if there is no lymphedema PT alone would be appropriate.

Finally, your primary care doctor could likely also order the therapies, but this is what physiatrists specialize in. And some of them specialize in post-cancer treatment care.

Wishing you the best.