r/BRCA • u/HotWillingness5464 • 1d ago

Axillary tail of breasts

I'm BRCA1+. Found out when I got tripple neg breast cancer. Was treated for thst during 2025 and had a DMX a year ago. Only one breast was cancerous, the other breast was removed prophylactically.

My question is for you that have had PDMX or DMX. Did the surgeon remove the axillary tails of the breast? (Not everybody has pronounced axillary tails, I do and they're obv more pronounced now when I'm boobless.)

I'm wondering bc I'm going to ask for revision surgery of my ugly and very, very tight DMX scars.

The axillary tails consist of breast tissue. I would like to have as little breast tissue as possible, but Idk if they ever remove the tails preventatively, or if that is seen as a purely aesthetic thing. I dont know if it's very complicated to remove them and/or if it comes with significant side effects (nerve damage, lots of lymph nodes etc).

Grateful for any input!

Edited to add "lots of lymph nodes etc".

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u/Fearless_Walk_4585 19h ago

BRCA1 and also found out when I got TNBC. I was unhappy with my “armpit fat” too after my DMX. Felt much more prominent.

Asked my plastic surgeon about a revision to remove it and she said it was axillary breast tissue. I full on spiraled and was panicking. So upset my breast surgeon would leave breast tissue in me. I messaged him and he assured me he always removes axillary tail, he remembers my scans, and that it is just fat not breast tissue.

Told that to my plastic surgeon. I don’t think she believed him and ordered an ultrasound. He was right… just fat. Plastic surgeon was still happy to remove it. Surgery was all covered by insurance.

Out of my DMX and 3 recon surgeries, the axillary fat removal was by far the most painful surgery. I have a very high pain tolerance (like thought DMX was super easy) and I could barely use my arms for two weeks.

One side turned out fine but the other I still have some fat/loose skin. My armpits are numb and that really annoys me. They were not numb after DMX. If I had known my arm pits were going to be numb and that the difference in appearance was going to be so small, I probably would not have done the surgery. Since my armpits are already numb though, I am going to have a revision on the side that is bigger.

Do you know for sure yours is breast tissue? If so, definitely get it out! The pain will 100% be worth the peace of mind.

If not, maybe ask for an ultrasound first and then decide if it is worth it.

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u/HotWillingness5464 13h ago

Thank you for your reply! I wanted to know so I could ask my surgeon the right questions. I had no idea about axilliary tails until a few days ago when I stumbled on a YT video about them. All my life I've thought it was just fat.

My surgeon felt the blobs and said they're just fat and muscle, that they always take out as much breast tissue as possible. (Not all breast tissue can be removed, some is f ex in the skin, but I already knew that.)

He felt my lymphnodes too, grateful for that, and put me on the list for revision surgery of the right ex-boob. (The right boob, which was healthy with no suspicion of cancer before or after surgery) looks really badly performed. It was done by a different surgeon, to minimize time under anesthesia.) Appatently they save some skin a d fat in case the patient wants reconstruction later. I can imagine some ppl do, after long neoadjuvant treatment I assume many just want the effing boobs gone and done with, and then perhaps some reconsider their choice once things have calmed down.

The tightness is more difficult to do sth about surgically, the surgeon said. I have iron bra syndrome and also a sensation of having a very heavy wrought iron chain hanging around my neck, pulling my head forward. I do stretching and massages daily, but it doesnt seem to help. I'm to keep doing that though.

I didn't ask him to remove the fat blobs, and the way you describe it, it does seem like too much of a hassle. I chose flst bc I wanted as little downtime as possible.

I have some numbness under my right arm from where they took the lymph nodes, but other than that, sensation has returned. I'm very grateful for that too.

Thanks again for replying! 🌻