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Ankle swelling and foot pain

LLMcK
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I finished chemo for breast cancer on 6t Feb 2024. I had 4 EC and 12 Pacli. During the Pacli my feet and ankles became very swollen. I was already on blood thinners from a clot that appeared in my arm from the picc line so was told it would likely go down after treatment.

I am now nearly three months on and I am still suffering with swollen ankles, calves and feet. My feet are no where near as bad as they were but the pain in my left food particularly is pretty awful. The pain is mostly on top of my foot and feel like it has been bruised and have hardly any mobility in my ankle. Some mornings, I can hardly walk when I get out of bed. I have followed the advice of keeping my feet up when I can, going for walks etc etc. I am also having reflexology which helps but doesn't keep it at bay. 

Is there anything that might be causing this? I have spoken to my GP, my oncologist, and my diabetes team (type 1) and no one seems overly concerned but but in the meantime I am in quite a lot of discomfort and unable to get on with life.

  • Hi LLMcK,

    Thankyou for getting in touch and welcome to the online community. My name is Rachel and I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists on the Macmillan Support Line.

    I’m so sorry to see that you’re still experiencing swelling to your calves, feet, and ankles three months after completing your chemotherapy and it’s understandable that the pain and lack of mobility in your ankle is having a huge impact on your ability to get on with your life now you’ve completed your treatment.

    On the support line we aren’t linked into the NHS and can’t diagnose or give specific medical advice. You’ve done exactly the right thing contacting your GP, oncologist and diabetes team and it’s reassuring that they weren’t overly concerned about your symptoms when you spoke to them, but we would always suggest you seek further advice from them if your symptoms are persisting or getting worse. They are best placed to assess you and diagnose what is causing the swelling so that they can offer appropriate treatment and support.

    In the meantime, here’s some general information that may help.

    There can be several causes of swollen ankles, feet, and legs (oedema). These include blood clots, infection, problems with your kidneys, heart, and liver, eating salty food, being overweight and certain medications including steroids, hormone therapy and certain types of chemotherapy. It’s important that any serious causes are ruled out.

    E/C and Paclitaxel and steroids such as dexamethasone, which is often given to prevent sickness during chemotherapy, can cause swelling and joint pain which is usually mild and goes away when treatment ends, however, for some people it can persist and become a long term problem.

    If the swelling and pain are treatment related and are persisting your team may be able to prescribe pain relief and refer you to a physiotherapist for exercises and massage to improve your circulation. In some cases, they may prescribe diuretic medication.

    You might also like to take a look at the Breast cancer group on the Macmillan online community. That can be a great place to share experiences and ideas and get support from others in a similar situation. Breast Cancer Now is a charity which offers a similar service.

    We recognise that finishing treatment can be a difficult time. Both Macmillan and Breast Cancer Now run courses that can help you to feel empowered to move forward with your life.

    I hope this information is helpful. If you have further questions, please get back in touch again. You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email or contact us through Webchat.

    Best Wishes

    Rachel

    Cancer Information Nurse Specialist

    Ref RC/IY

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