Hello,
Thank you for the follow up query. I can understand your concern.
Radiation therapy is known to cause dryness, itching, blistering, or peeling. These issues usually resolve a few weeks after entire treatment has finished.
The specific pain that you mention may be due to the acute radiation effect causing tissue damage. As the body repairs the damage which takes about a week or two, it slowly heals. You may take pain medications as per your oncologist's advice and to get relief. Your concern as to whether these could be metastasis is highly unlikely since cancer cells are not known to reappear as metastasis within 2 weeks on radiation and present as pain.
Hope this helps, feel free to discuss further
Patient replied :
I think we found out what the pain was coming from. My right side and across the top near the clavicle became very hard and swollen. The surgeon drained 80 ml of blood from it 3 times and then said I needed a semi-permanent drain. Tko keep until it heals.
They are calling it a seroma, but it is full of new blood (it was old blood earlier on)--NOT light colored serous fluid.
It has how been 2 weeks with the drain, and I get 23 ml everyday. It never improves, but is sometimes worse.
They say they think the radiation irritated my capillaries and it is taking them a long time to heal, because the pooled blood prevents healing. That's why I need the drain.
Have you ever seen this happen before? If so, have you ever seen it last so long? I am really really scared that it is never going to stop. Help!!!
Dear,
Generally, the drain slowly comes down until it completely heals. This
is a common phenomenon after surgery and usually takes about 3 - 4
weeks before complete healing.
Please make sure you are not on any kind of blood thinner which can
prolong bleeding.
I would like to reassure this that this will heal although after some
time.. Make sure there is no infection over the surgical area.
Regards.
Patient replied :
Thank you. But, I have had the drain a week, and I think the drainage is actually INCREASING. Have you seen a bloody seroma before? I don't even think mine has STARTED to heal!! Should I worry?
What can be done about this? Also, please note that I had the surgery in September, and there were no problems. Then I had the radiation in October and November. The seroma did not show up until December. What do you think of that?
Please get evaluated by the surgical oncologist again and if needed undergo a CT or USG scan for better correlation.
Seroma usually gets absorbed by 3-4 weeks.
Please send the latest reports for better understanding of the situation.
Please be assured that we are always available to help you.
Kind regards.