pain in ribs after radiation ~ Costochondritis

I had locally advanced multifocal breast cancer, lumpectomy, mastectomy, chemotherapy, herceptin and finished with radiation (25 boost doses) in late 2009.

Not long after finishing rads I started getting this pain in my ribs and chest. It is a stabbing and burning pain.  The pain only lasts for half a minute when I give it a rub thank goodness!

An ultrasound found the cartilidge between my rib bones is lumpy and close to under the skin, which the oncologist says isn't anything to worry about. It has been there since I had the mastectomy operation early 2009.  I asked my surgeon about it and he said it has probably been there forever but now my breast is gone I can feel it. I do worry because it is below the area where my multifocal tumours were situated. (10mm clear margins).

After doing some research I have found the following -

"Pain in the chest wall around the breastbone (or sternum) is the most characteristic feature of the condition known as COSTOCHONDRITIS Medically, the term chondritis refers to inflammation of any cartilage in the body. Costochondritis refers specifically to inflammation of the cartilage that joins the ribs to the breastbone (called costal cartilages). The chest pain of costochondritis sometimes is severe.

Apparently once you get it, it can flare up at any time and you have to be cautious with over-working your arms with things like lifting, painting and sweeping. Sometimes the pain can extend to the shoulder or arm on the involved side.

When Costochondritis is accompanied by swelling of the areas surrounding the cartilige, the condition is called TIETZE SYNDROME which causes localised musculoskeletal pain.

In Tietze syndrome, the swollen area of the inflamed cartilage may be tender to the touch, and the skin overlying the cartilage may be reddened.

Patients who have had radiation therapy to the chest/breast area will  often experience this syndrome which can occur shortly after therapy or years later."

So after suffereing from moderate peripheral neuropathy in my hands and feet for the last year and half, now I have something else that is affecting my ability to do my work - gardener and mowing contractor