Sore ribs after radiation
 

hi all

Another question to the wonderful women on this site. I had a lumpectomy, chemo, and then radiation which ended the first of January. It is April and my
ribs are sore especially on the left side where the surgery was and when I had my echocardiogram last week, the nurse was pushing and it actually hurt when
she did that??? Has this happened to anyone else with rads. I will
ask the Dr. about it when I go. My first mammo is coming up and I'm sure that it is going to hurt also, but it must be done!! Thanks for your help.
Patb

My ribs really hurt me on my lumpectomy side. I had a CT scan only because I was so afraid it was my liver as my affected side is the right and the liver is right there by those ribs too (on the right side). Nothing was there and we attributed it to rads (and I had just started Herceptin then too and that has its own share of aches and pains). I would say it started happening about the same timeframe as you.It does go away with time - sometimes, I can still sort of feel it is there in a vague way but not really - I think it is more like a phantom pain.

I had some discomfort also, if I touched the area and pushed it would feel sore and hurt. I felt bruised for a long time after rads. Of course check in with your
dr. but I am sure it is residue from the rads.

Congrats on finishing your treatment.
Jean

Patb,

It seems we share a common dx date. I did not have chemo but did rads from mid-August through September 29th. I had a lot of discomfort in the ribs on the radiated side for 3 to 4 months after rx was complete. (These are side effects no one bothers to warn you about). I am only just now getting to where I can tolerate being hugged on that side. When I saw both my surgeon and radiologist the past two weeks, they told me that it takes a full year for the breast to recover from radiation, and that they wouldn't know what my new "tenderness threshold" would be until after a full 12 months. Herceptin is supposed to have synergy with rads, and amplifies its affect somewhat, so as a group, we may be more sensitive than most. It sounds to me that what you are feeling is very similar to my experience. Best of luck to you.

Hopeful

Ribs Hurt
 

I hope it's not my cancer psychosis gone mad--but my ribs hurt on the side I had my lumpectomy and radiation on. I finished rads back in February--have still been doing Herceptin every 3/wks---and have recently noticed that they hurt when I press down on them. I'm sort of relieved that other people seem to be experiencing this too. Should I push the panic button and see my doc asap instead of next week? Opinions anyone?

Eileen

Yes. Rib pain on the right side after chemo and radiation -- right side is lumpectomy and radation side. In fact, doctor ordered a scan because of the pain. No mets, but the ribs were broken. I think radiation weakened my ribs.

Pat, an interesting thread, and I'm glad you raised it. My radiotherapy finished end of February, and for the past few nights I've begun noticing pain and tenderness on the affected side when I lie on it. Like others here, I began wondering if my liver might be involved, and have been unable to resist poking and pressing the area, but was relieved to read that this soreness seems to be quite common. I'm going for a chest x-ray anyway soon, for a persistent cough, so hopefully that will let us see that everything's okay.

(P.S. RE: cough, my oncologist said that around 20% of people on Herceptin have this dry little cough with it. I'm hoping that's what it is).

Best wishes
Caroline