Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
What Causes Stabbing Pain In Left Breast After Radiation For Malignant Nodule?
Question: I've had two episodes over the last few days of severe stabbing pain in my left breast. This is worse on inhale. I have had cyberknife rad. for a malignant nodule on my LLL 6 mos. ago (stage 1). These "attacks" do resolve after a few long minutes. I also had stage 1 breast cancer on the other breast with lumpectomy, radiation and chemo. Both cancers are primary w/ no lymph involvement. The breast surgeon did not find anything on very recent examination. Milder pain on that side has, over the years, been explained as rib/muscle irritation. Any thoughts? Many thanks, XXXXXX
Brief Answer:
Radiation induced complication
Detailed Answer:
Hi
Thanks for your query.
It seems like radiation induced complication - fat necrosis or breast fibrosis (more probably breast fibrosis). Since on respiration the breast tissue expands and contracts causing the fibrous tissue to hurt. A muscle spasm can also cause similar symptoms but the "spasming" muscle can be be felt on physical examination, so I am not considering it to be muscular in origin.
Pain in breast is not a symptom of cancer (exception inflammatory breast cancer in which breast looks red and inflamed), so we can be reassured about it.
Some lesions of breast are not felt on examination but can be detected by imaging. If you want to get it diagnosed, you will need to go for imaging (mammogram or MRI) of the breast. A biopsy is confirmatory after something is found on imaging. Treatment can be undertaken accordingly.
Hope it helps.
Let me know if I can assist you further.
Dr Vaishalee
Radiation induced complication
Detailed Answer:
Hi
Thanks for your query.
It seems like radiation induced complication - fat necrosis or breast fibrosis (more probably breast fibrosis). Since on respiration the breast tissue expands and contracts causing the fibrous tissue to hurt. A muscle spasm can also cause similar symptoms but the "spasming" muscle can be be felt on physical examination, so I am not considering it to be muscular in origin.
Pain in breast is not a symptom of cancer (exception inflammatory breast cancer in which breast looks red and inflamed), so we can be reassured about it.
Some lesions of breast are not felt on examination but can be detected by imaging. If you want to get it diagnosed, you will need to go for imaging (mammogram or MRI) of the breast. A biopsy is confirmatory after something is found on imaging. Treatment can be undertaken accordingly.
Hope it helps.
Let me know if I can assist you further.
Dr Vaishalee
Note: For further queries related to kidney problems Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
