Texture of breast four years after lumpectomy and radiation

There is a term "Radiation fibrosis" that I discovered on this site. You can do a search. I had it and questioned it for 7 yrs.  doctors told me "it will take time to heal" but it did not improve. I winced in pain during clinical exams and used a narcotic for mammos.       Finally, I put it together. I had been burnt and blistering during radiation; I did not know enough to tell them to STOP!               The solution for me was to get a "Preventative" mastectomy and be done with it.      Hindsight is 20/20; but I wish I had had the mastectomy in 2003. Lumpectomy plus radiation was painful for me.  I kept thinking it would get better; but it did not. 

Of course, this is just my situation and I'm not sure about yours. But I thought I'd put it out there. I am happy I finally came to BCO to get the info I needed.  Best Wishes to you!

Cellist, breast lymphedema can also feel like that, and doctors are very slow to recognize or diagnose it.  It can cause both lumps and hardened areas. If it's lymphedema it needs to be treated to reduce the hardness (fibrosis from the inflammatory response to the stagnant fluid among the cells) and the risk of cellulitis (because of the presence among the cells of warm, protein-rich fluid that feeds any bacteria that find its way into your body). The treatment is a specialized gentle manipulation technique (Manual Lymph Drainage) that a lymphedema therapist can teach you, and gentle compression.

Here's information about breast lymphedema:
http://www.stepup-speakout.org/breast_chest_trunckal_lymphedema.htm

And here's how to find a well-qualified lymphedema therapist near you. You need a referral from any doctor on your team for an evaluation:
http://www.stepup-speakout.org/Finding_a_Qualified_Lymphedema_Therapist.htm

If it's lymphedema, then removing the excess fluid from the area will also reduce the pain and discomfort, so worth the effort to find out. (Just to clarify, lymphedema is not like a seroma, where the fluid is pooled. It's a condition where lymph fluid gets "stuck" in among the tiny spaces between cells. So it doesn't show up on imaging and so is difficult for many doctors to recognize.)

Hoping you get real answers soon!
Binney

Dear BinVA, I'm so glad I googled "breast texture & pain long after lumpectomy"! My experience is so similar to yours. I had a lumpectomy in May 2007 with sentinal node biopsy; clear margins and no nodes with cancer. I had CMF chemo, then 6 weeks of radiation, and I've been on Aromasin since Spring 2008. At first my breast was pain free, but over the last 18 months I have been suffering, and terrified. I've had many exams, including fine needle aspiration, sonogram, 2 mammograms, and my surgeon keeps saying there's nothing there to worry about; it's scar tissue. But at night when I'm throbbing, I can't help feeling that painful hard lump (it seems to move around and change shape), the sore swollen "cord" that runs toward my armpit, and the hard knot that is there. I forgot to mention flaming stubborn mastitis, TWICE, treated with antibiotics! Thanks for the links, Binney! I'm going to find a lymphedema therapist asap!

Omg! what a great post. I can not tell you how many times I walk around with my hand down my shirt feeling the tender area. I sometimes convince myself that it is another lump or that it is in my bones. I actually went to the radiation doctor and told her I was sure it was in my bones....she was like no you just had radiation for 7 weeks.