Lumpy incision site........

I've noticed that my incision site feels sort of hard & lumpy & am a bit worried. Could this simply be scar tissue after the surgery & radiation or is it something to be concerned about? I'm kind of freaking out because the nipple on the same breast also feels hard & lumpy & appears slightly dimpled & inverted on the upper aureole.......are these symptoms a result of post radiation or is something going on? I know I may be jumping to conclusions out of panic but is it possible for something to have developed so soon after my surgery & radiation treatments? I just saw my radio oncologist 3 months ago & have an appointment with my breast surgeon in early February. I'm so scared of being told it doesn't look or feel normal......has anyone experienced similar symptoms?

Yes, I have the same thing! I've had 2 lumpectomies, the later one being Feb 07, and I have scar tissue around the incision site. Mine is also (still) tender. I am told this is normal... however, my scar tissue and tenderness may be partly due to the fact that I had brachytherapy instead of external beam radiation. (Brachytherapy is high intensity short time internal radiation -- 1 week -- radiation via tiny radioactive beads introduced via catheters in the breast 4-6 after the surgery.)

Hi (((mori))) I had brachytherapy (MammoSite) as (((Teragram7))) did, so again, I'm not sure my experience is directly comparable to yours but I have a slight dimpling at the point in my incision site where the catheter went in, plus hard scar tissue and tender areas under the skin which is the capsule of the seroma left behind afterwards (had been a hematoma first). Also, the skin directly over where the catheter went in and inflated is darker, and it's been a year and a half since the radiation.

I would ask the surgeon at your followup, but my instinct is that they'll tell you that it's normal for the stage of healing you're in following surgery and external rads. Hopefully it will soften and smooth out in time. Perhaps they can recommend a good cream or lotion you could massage in to help?

s,
-Linda

Thank you very much for your replies & for sharing your experiences. My follow up appointment is this Friday, so I'm hoping everything I described is normal.....I always feel a bit anxious at follow-ups. I'll report back after the appointment .

Hi Ladies........just wanted to let everyone know that I'm so relieved my follow-up appointment went well & everything is normal including the shooting pains I sometimes have in the operated breast. I see my doctor again in 6 months & I'm supposed to have my next mammogram in May & see my Radio oncologist after that........I see him & my breast doctor alternately every 3 months.