# Cording (axillary web syndrome)

Source: https://onco.cc/terms/cording-axillary-web-syndrome/  
OnCo record `cording-axillary-web-syndrome` (Term). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Tight bands of scar tissue that appear in the armpit in the weeks after lymph node surgery and can run down the arm to the elbow, wrist or thumb. They feel like guitar strings under the skin, they hurt and limit movement, and they usually settle within a few months with physiotherapy.

## Summary

Cancer Research UK says the scar tissue is called cording, banding or axillary web syndrome, that it can feel something like a guitar string and extend down the arm past the elbow, possibly as far as the wrist or thumb, that it is harmless but can be painful and may limit arm movement, and that regular massage helps. It says to tell your breast care nurse, who can refer you to a physiotherapist for massage and stretching exercises, that it usually gets better within a few months, and that anti-inflammatory painkillers may help. NICE NG101 (1.14.19) says to refer people to the physiotherapy department for individual assessment and treatment if they report a persistent reduction in arm and shoulder mobility after breast cancer surgery or radiotherapy. This is orientation from public patient pages, guidelines and the trials themselves, not advice for your case: your own team's instructions and 24-hour number come first, and no figure on this page is a prediction about you.

## Fields

- Kind: Term
- Last checked: 2026-09-25
- Also known as: axillary web syndrome; cords in the armpit; banding

## Sources

- Cancer Research UK: possible problems after mastectomy: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/breast-cancer/treatment/surgery/after-surgery/problems-after-mastectomy
- NICE NG101: early and locally advanced breast cancer, recommendations (updated 2025): https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng101/chapter/Recommendations

## Connected records

- cancers: [Breast cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/breast-cancer/)
- terms: [Lymphadenectomy (lymph node dissection)](https://onco.cc/terms/lymphadenectomy/), [Sentinel node biopsy](https://onco.cc/terms/sentinel-lymph-node-biopsy/)

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