| If you're currently a breast cancer patient or survivor | | | | their doctors, went up if they were younger women |
| as I am you may be interested in a new study. If | | | | or if they had several breast procedures, specifically |
| you're scheduled for or you've had any kind of | | | | radiation therapy, axillary lymph node dissection and |
| breast radiation treatment or breast cancer surgery | | | | or surgery to conserve the breasts. It's not known |
| including radiation therapy, axillary lymph node | | | | how many women have never reported this pain not |
| dissection (lymph node removal), and/or breast | | | | realizing there may be a connection. |
| conserving surgery, you may be interested in | | | | It's already known that lymphedema can occur |
| knowing about the recent study done by Danish | | | | following lymph node dissection and women can feel |
| scientists regarding breast pain. | | | | a golf-ball size or tennis-ball size lump in their armpit, |
| The study was revealing and confirms what many | | | | causing pain and discomfort ongoing. |
| women with breast cancer who've had surgery or | | | | There is a nerve that runs under the arm that may |
| other breast procedures think. The pain they're | | | | have been damaged while doing some of these |
| having in their breast or breasts is directly related to | | | | breast cancer therapies, procedures or surgeries, in |
| the treatment, therapy or surgery they had even if it | | | | turn causing the breast pain later. |
| occurs two years later. | | | | Doctors who know about the study may try to find |
| The scientists were able to confirm that at least half | | | | ways to avoid damaging these nerves however |
| of 3000 women in the study had experienced this | | | | there may be doctors and surgeons who aren't |
| pain. It's not likely that the women were aware they | | | | aware of this new study. If you're scheduled for any |
| would be experiencing this post-radiation therapy or | | | | type of breast cancer surgery or radiation therapy, |
| post-surgical pain or at least not two years later. | | | | you may want to discuss this study with your doctor |
| Following surgery, the average length of time when | | | | to make sure he or she is aware of it. You may be |
| the pain started, was about two years. The pain was | | | | able to save yourself a lot of breast pain down the |
| moderate to severe and only one in five of the | | | | road. Also, many women today find they have more |
| women had told her doctor about it. | | | | options and are choosing alternative treatments or |
| In breast cancer patients or survivors not in the | | | | methods for a more natural route to curing breast |
| study, the likelihood of reporting this breast pain to | | | | cancer, as I did, many years ago. |