PMRT - how 'bad' are changes to DEIP/own tissue reconstruction after radiotherapy

Hi, I'm one of the champions in the group and I just noticed you haven’t had any replies yet. My response will bump you back to the top and I'm sure someone with the relevant experience will be along soon.

Also don't forget the lovely folks at the Macmillan helpline are always available for a chat. They are there to listen or give advice and can be reached 8am to 8pm daily on 0800 808 0000.  Best wishes 

Hi

I didn't have a mastectomy, but a lumpectomy where one of the areas they removed was ‘filled in’ with a bit of flesh from elsewhere - therapeutic mammoplasty I think it was described as  

Initially it healed very well and the bit they added in was soft and not really noticeable. I then had 3 months of chemo and 5 slots of radiotherapy.

Very slowly a lot of scar tissue seemed to form - despite regular gently message - to the extent that when i went for my first mammogram in October - about a year after my initial diagnosis - my surgeon was sufficiently concerned to ask for 2 more biopsies which if I’m honest were a bit unpleasant.

The good news is there isn’t any more cancer but apparently I do have ‘Fat Necrosis’ - which I had never read about on here. The ‘pad’ which was added is now quite hard, gives me a strange crease in my bosom, and the whole area is quite tender.

The upshot is that I will probably have further surgery in the new year to remove the fat necrosis and probably to balance up my breasts.

So whereas I wasn’t at all bothered about having the RT in the first place I believe it has contributed to the fat necrosis.

Hope this helps - it was something I had not read to about before it happened to me

Good luck x

I had this about 4 years ago and it didn’t make any difference to the results of the surgery. It did cause long term pain though. For at least a year I couldn’t sleep on that side as it was agony. Now it doesn’t hurt unless I press under my breast, and it still feels like a bad bruise. 

Hi Susan,

thanks so much for this - and I'm really sorry to hear about the fat necrosis. I hope the future surgery goes well and helps resolve it.

Hi - thanks. It does feel like there are a lot of unwanted side effects - I'm really sorry to hear about your pain, and hope that gets better.