Post lumpectomy

Hi.. my breast cancer was found at an early stage, during my first mammogram. Everything happened so quickly, my surgery was done within 6 weeks. However, it meant that I had little time to understand what was going to happen afterwards and how my breasts were going to feel or change. I didn't even think to ask these questions at the time.

It's now been just over 5 weeks since surgery and this morning I saw my breast had a dimply texture. About a week ago I felt a hard lump on the inside of my breast, which felt tender to touch. I still have the same tender lump under the incision. Is it usual to develop another lump on the other side?

I know it's early days, but the team at the hospital made it sound as though it would be so straight forward. Even saying I could return to work within a couple of weeks. I would have found that very difficult and painful.

I'm supposed to be starting radiotherapy soon, but I'm concerned that the dimply texture might mean my breast isn't fully healed? Any thoughts welcome

  • Hi Litalou,

    I notice that you have sent your post to the "Ask the Nurses" section of the site, but I am replying, as they are not here at weekends or bank holidays - I expect that one of the nurses will get back to you on Tuesday.

    More people are recalled after their first mammogram than any other. This is because there are no previous images from other mammograms to compare the findings to. It is just as well that you went for this screening and that it detected your cancer at an early stage. I am sorry to hear that you now have concerns about the appearance of your skin post-lumpectomy. The whole purpose of leaving you a few weeks after surgery (usually about 6) before starting radiotherapy, is to allow your skin to heal. The radiologist will not start radiotherapy until this has happened.

    I don't know about the lump on the other side of your breast, but I was aware of one under my incision after a lumpectomy too. This was examined and scanned and it proved to be scar tissue from the surgery - this seems to be a fairly common problem. I agree with you that I certainly wasn't ready to return to work a couple of weeks after surgery. In fact, I found that it took longer for me to heal after a lumpectomy, than it did after a subsequent double mastectomy!

    I hope that this gives you a temporary respite from your concerns over the weekend and that the nurses can reassure you further once they return. Please keep in touch and let us know how you get on. We are always here for you.

    Kind regards,

    Jolamine xx

  • Thank you. I was starting to feel quite pathetic, not being "back to normal" did the scar tissue under your incision soften at some point? Is there anything I can do to help it?

    kind regards