pain in arm pit

[annie54]

i have had surgery to remove a malinant lump from my left breast the docters said i didnt need any cymotherapy or any thing else but i am getting pains in my arm pit is there a chance of the cancer returning

[annie54]

thank you all  they  told me the cancer hadnt got to my lymph glands i am going back to hospital 10th dec they will tell me then what is the next step they did tell me that if this surgery didnt work i will have to have a mastectomy

[riley180]

If you  underwent surgery on the armpit, then there may still be pain “recalled” by the body from the surgery. For some , the pain is so severe that movement is limited . This immobility however is not desirable as it could lead to limited movement on the shoulder as healing can create areas of contracture  when movement is not practiced. With time the pain would decrease. It might be a good idea to inquire about specific exercises you can do to improve chances of preserving   functionality of your shoulder. Bear in mind  that what is most important is that you do not feel any lumps developing.  

[lizziecee]

Hi annie - did your bc surgeon do a sentinel node biopsy of your lymph glands? If not, they are negligent. You do need to know if the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes in the armpit.
I had an invasive ductal tumour and sample node removal/biopsy, in 2003, which showed 3 out of 8 lymph nodes were malignant. When I went back for total lymph node removal they found oe more node cancerous.   My tumour was only found on a normal 3 yrly mammo and was not palpable. Thank God for mammos. My only symptom was a pain radiating from my armpit down to my wrist - like an electric shock, and I never thought to go to the GP.

I had the tumour removed, and then went back a month later for all the axillary lymph nodes removed. Had to have chemo and radiotherapy as there was concern that the cancer had already spread to other organs. I had bone, live and chest scans and all okay.

You really to know the status of your axillary nodes - go back to your surgeon and ask!!

You also need to know your hormone status - was your cancer estrogen/progesterone and HER2 status positive or negative? These parameters are  really very important for any future treatment. If ER/PR+ you will need tamoxifen if pre-menopausal, and Arimidex or another aromotase inhibitor. Herceptin is called for if you are HER2+.

Please get checked out further. You really don't have enough information at the moment as to how to proceed.
Hugs
Liz