Key Takeaways

  • Breast cancer treatments can cause menstrual changes, hair loss, swelling, skin changes, and weight gain, but many of these side effects are temporary and manageable with proper care.
  • Mental health support, such as therapy and self-care practices, is crucial during breast cancer treatment due to the common occurrence of depression and anxiety. Strategies can help manage the physical changes associated with breast cancer, including diuretic medications for swelling, creams for skin issues, breast reconstruction, cold capping for hair loss.
  • Surgical procedures can lead to physical changes, such as scarring, breast asymmetry, and pain. Managing pain after surgery may involve nerve blocks, pain medications, or physical therapy.

During breast cancer treatment, you may experience several physical and mental changes.

Menstrual changes

Breast cancer treatments can disrupt hormone production and interrupt your menstrual cycle. This means you may experience:

Sometimes, regular periods resume after treatment. However, menopause may start early in some people.

Hair loss

Many people undergoing chemotherapy may experience significant thinning or loss of hair. This usually starts a couple of weeks into treatment.

Hair loss is almost always a temporary issue. However, some people may experience only partial hair regrowth or no regrowth. Your hair should regrow within 3 to 6 months after you finish treatment.

Cold capping can decrease hair loss from chemotherapy. According to a 2020 study with 90 participants, it did.

Swelling

Lymphedema is a condition in which fluid collects in different parts of the body and causes swelling.

Having axillary surgery can increase the risk of upper extremity lymphedema. Radiation increases that risk.

There’s also breast lymphedema, which may develop as a result of breast surgery or radiation.

Your care team may refer you to a lymphedema specialist after your surgery to reduce your risk or reduce symptoms if you already have them. The specialist may give you specific exercises or a special compression sleeve to help prevent or reduce your symptoms.

Skin changes

Radiation for breast cancer can cause skin changes, such as lesions and irritation. In some cases, you may experience more severe changes, such as skin ulceration.

Radiation affects the body in many more ways than the skin. It can also cause:

  • fatigue
  • nerve damage
  • cardiac damage

Weight gain

According to a 2021 review, weight gain may occur during breast cancer treatment. The weight gain may result from steroids given during chemotherapy as well as hormone therapies.

Weight gain, specifically visceral fat, is linked to insulin resistance and chronic inflammation. Insulin resistance and chronic inflammation can lead to breast cancer progression.

Nutritional support and exercise can help you manage your weight during treatment.

Mental changes

A 2020 meta-analysis including 282,203 individuals with breast cancer found that depression and anxiety commonly occur.

If you have concerns about depression or anxiety, contact your medical team for help. Your friends and family can also offer emotional support, or help you get the support you need.

It may also help to practice self-care, such as:

  • meditating
  • journaling
  • doing a hobby you love
  • spending time in nature

Several surgeries for breast cancer can also lead to physical changes.

Lumpectomy

A lumpectomy is sometimes referred to as breast-conserving surgery. This is because it can remove smaller tumors locally instead of the entire breast.

A surgeon removes the tumor and a margin of tissue around the tumor. This may lead to some scarring or other physical changes, such as breast asymmetry.

Mastectomy

Surgeons often perform a mastectomy on larger tumors. The entire breast is removed in this procedure.

You may opt for another type of mastectomy if possible. For example, a skin-sparing mastectomy preserves the skin of your breast for reconstruction immediately after the mastectomy or later.

A nipple-sparing mastectomy preserves the nipple.

A double mastectomy removes both breasts. This may be a good option if you have a strong family history of breast cancer, a known genetic mutation like BRCA, or an increased risk of cancer in the other breast.

Lymph node removal

Regardless of the breast cancer surgery you choose, your surgeon will most likely remove one or more lymph nodes found under your arm. This is called a sentinel lymph node biopsy.

A sentinel lymph node biopsy involves the removal of the sentinel lymph nodes. On average, this is around three to four lymph nodes, but some people may have more or fewer removed.

The removal will leave a scar at the incision sites in the upper outer part of your breast, near your armpit.

If you’ve had a core needle biopsy of a lymph node that showed cancer before your surgery, you may need an axillary lymph node dissection.

During an axillary dissection, your doctor can remove as many as 15 to 20 nodes in an attempt to remove all cancerous nodes. This will leave a scar at the incision sites in the upper outer part of your breast, near your armpit.

In a 2023 study with 66 participants with breast cancer, many of them experienced pain and decreased mobility of the affected arm after lymph node dissection. In some cases, this pain may be chronic.

However, there are ways to get relief from postsurgical side effects.

Chronic pain is estimated to affect 20% to 30% of individuals who undergo breast surgery.

There are a number of treatments that may help manage your pain, depending on the type of pain you are experiencing. These include:

  • nerve blocks
  • pain medications
  • physical therapy

If you’re experiencing persistent pain after surgery, talk with your doctor. They may recommend one of the above treatments.

For other breast cancer changes, ask your doctor about:

  • Diuretic medications: Diuretics help the body get rid of excess water. This can help with swelling from fluid retention.
  • Creams or ointments: Certain topicals can help soothe your skin. Ice packs and heating pads typically don’t ease symptoms.
  • Breast reconstruction: If you’ll have one or both breasts removed, you have many options after surgery: reconstruction, breast forms, nipple procedures, or staying flat. Here are some postsurgery bras to consider.
  • Cold capping: Also called scalp cooling, it may help hair loss from chemo. Learn more about cold capping.
  • Mental health care: Don’t hesitate to ask your doctor for a therapist referral. Talking with a mental health professional can help you accept, manage, and overcome these changes.

There are many physical changes that you may experience during breast cancer treatment. This can include hair loss, swelling, and scarring from surgery. Your care team can help you manage these changes.

But most importantly, be kind to yourself. Make sure you have a support system in place, and reach out for help as soon as you need it.