Any cancer survivor out there that has experienced pain in the other breast?

I am currently receiving radiation treatment in my left breast, and I am feeling pain in my right breast. I'd like to know why this could be happening.

Thanks for your question lowengail and I'm happy to hear that you are cancer free. We posed your question to Lillie Shockney, RN., BS., MAS and the Director of the Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Center and Assistant Professor at the Departments of Surgery and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the JHU School of Medicine. Here's what she had to say ...

"It's great to hear that you are doing well and are 2 years out from your initial diagnosis of breast cancer. You describe something that is quite common -- breast tenderness and pain, which happens to many women, unrelated to a diagnosis in the past of breast cancer.

Hormonal changes is one of the most common causes of this. Make your gynecologist aware of it and he may recommend an ultrasound evaluation to see if breast cysts too are a contributing factor. Some women report getting some relief by taking Vitamin E so talk with your doctor about that as well. Be well."

In addition to the hormonal changes and possible cysts, other factors contributing to breast tenderness, according to the NIH could include:

Alcoholism with liver damage;
Injury and
Mastitis

Other causes for your breast pain may be medications such as digitalis preparations, aldomet, aldactone, certain diuretics, anadrol, and chlorpromazine.

For more information, visit http://www.hopkinsbreastcenter.org/ or http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003152.htm

Please keep us updated as to what you find out. Thanks.