Still sore after breast cancer surgery - when does the pain go away?

It's completely understandable to still experience soreness more than a year after surgery, as everyone's healing timeline is different and the body can take time to fully recover from both the surgical procedure and radiation treatment. Many patients find that post-surgical discomfort can persist for an extended period, and this is something worth discussing with your medical team during your upcoming appointments. Thank you for sharing your experience here - connecting with others who understand this journey can be so valuable, and your openness helps create a supportive space for everyone in this community.

Hi Patricia. I had my right double lumpectomy and left reduction in October 2024 and radiation in February 2025, no chemo. I just started with Letrazole I think its called. I take at night so I don't have so much joint pain they say it gives you. I'm also on Remicade for my RA monthly. I've had 2 different PT for my breast. One that massaged the muscle around the breast, which helped, because it hurt to hug anyone. Then PT to break up the radiation tissue scaring that made the deep tissue prevent free flowing movement. These helped, but I still have pain, just not as great and i find that the compression bra at night helps.

I've had both knees replaced in July 2025 and April 30, 2026 also. I walk 2 miles 3 -4 times at least a week in my neighborhood and do warm water arthritis classes 3 x week. I try to do only 1 major thing a day due to fatigue.