Radiation therapy for breast cancer

One common and effective treatment for breast cancer is radiation therapy. However, it does have some side effects. A doctor may recommend There are two main types of radiation treatment: • External beam radiation: This involves a doctor applying radiation from an external machine to the breast and surrounding tissue. • Internal radiation (brachytherapy): This involves placing a small radioactive pellet into the body for a short period. The right treatment for Read on for more information about the short-term, long-term, and rare side effects of radiation for breast cancer. Short-term side effects occur during the treatment or directly afterward, usually within 6 months. Common short-term side effects include: • Pain: Some people experience mild discomfort or pain around the breast, or stiffness in the shoulder area. Over time, treatments should become less uncomfortable. • Skin changes: Skin damage is a common side effect of radiation therapy, and having a good skin care routine is essential during treatment. Changes to the skin can include: • color changes • peeling or flaking • skin that feels tender, dry, itchy or sore • blisters • excess moisture and weeping • Swelling: The breast or surrounding tissue may become swollen or inflamed. Swelling should reduce within a few weeks of the end of treatment. • Hair loss in the armpit or chest: When a doctor applies radiation to the lymph nodes in the armpit and chest, it can cause • A sore throat: Applying radiation to the lym...

Standard radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy) uses targeted, high-energy X-rays or other forms of radiation to kill cancer cells. The goal of radiation therapy is to kill any cancer that might be left in the breast or nearby lymph nodes after breast cancer surgery. Radiation therapy is an option for many women who have: • Radiation therapy is standard treatment for most women who have: • • • Learn about Radiation therapy and DCIS Radiation therapy is often recommended for women who are treated with lumpectomy (also called breast-conserving surgery) for DCIS. In rare cases, radiation therapy is recommended following a mastectomy for DCIS. Learn more about For a summary of research studies on lumpectomy plus radiation therapy in the treatment of DCIS, Radiation therapy and invasive breast cancer After lumpectomy Radiation therapy is usuallyrecommended after lumpectomy. Radiation therapy can lower the risk of [ • Breast cancer recurrence in the treated breast • Breast cancer death Some women 70 and older who have small, After mastectomy Many women who have a mastectomy don’t need radiation therapy. However, in some cases, radiation therapy is used after mastectomy to treat the chest wall andlymph nodes. These can include the lymph nodesin the underarm area (axillary nodes), around the collarbone or near the breastbone (internal mammary nodes). Not everyone can have radiation therapy. Being pregnant, having certain health conditions or having certain • Pregnancy. Radia...

A person with breast cancer may receive radiation therapy as a sole treatment, or as a part of a treatment program. As the radiation passes through the skin to reach the cancer cells, it can damage healthy skin cells. This can cause skin changes that appear as burns. According to the National Cancer Institute, approximately Oncologists may prescribe this treatment for people with Radiation therapy kills cancer cells or stops them from growing by using different types of radiation or high-energy x-rays. While the treatment is This article discusses what radiation burns are and why they happen. It also discusses their appearance, other symptoms, and how a person can manage them. In addition, this article also looks at where to find support. Share on Pinterest Nipshutter/Shutterstock According to Some people will experience few or no side effects, while others will experience many. When people receive radiation treatment daily, or almost daily, their skin cells do not have enough time to regrow between treatments. This can There are External radiation therapy This is the type doctors use most often to treat breast cancer. The doctors use a large machine to aim a beam of high-energy x-ray radiation at the affected area of the breast, or the entire breast. The high-energy x-ray radiation from external radiation therapy kills healthy skin cells in the treatment area, as the radiation passes through the skin to reach the cancer. Internal radiation therapy This is a form of treatm...

New techniques and new ways to use radiation therapy for breast cancer treatment are under study in clinical trials. The results of these trials will decide whether they become part of standard care. Learn about Identifying people who may safely avoid radiation therapy Researchers are studying whether some women with hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer with a very low risk of recurrence may omit radiation therapy after lumpectomy [ Hypofractionated radiation therapy after mastectomy Hypofractionated radiation therapy uses a slightly higher dose of radiation per session. This reduces the number of treatment sessions and shortens the overall course from up to 6 weeks to 1-4 weeks. Many women get hypofractionated radiation therapy after lumpectomy. Hypofractionated radiation therapy is now under study for use after mastectomy [ Shortened course of hypofractionated radiation therapy Researchers are studying whether further increasing the dose of radiation per session and giving a 1-week course of hypofractionated radiation therapy is as effective in treating breast cancer as giving a 3-week course [ Proton radiation therapy Proton radiation therapy delivers a precise dose of radiation therapy, targeting a tumor with potentially less impact on normal tissue. It’s used to treat some cancers that require a high level of precision to ensure nearby tissues are not harmed, such as brain tumors in children. Proton radiation therapy is under study for use in treating breast ...

Radiation therapy is one of the most common treatments for cancer. Radiation may be used alone or with other treatments, such as surgery, chemotherapy, hormones, or targeted therapy. If your treatment plan includes radiation therapy, knowing how it works and what to expect can often help you prepare for treatment and make informed decisions about your care.

Radiation is one of the most common treatments for cancer. Other names for radiation treatment are radiation therapy, radiotherapy, irradiation, and x-ray therapy. What is radiation therapy? Radiation therapy uses high-energy particles or waves, such as x-rays, gamma rays, electron beams, or protons, to destroy or damage cancer cells. Your cells normally grow and divide to form new cells. But cancer cells grow and divide faster than most normal cells. Radiation works by making small breaks in the DNA inside cells. These breaks keep cancer cells from growing and dividing and cause them to die. Nearby normal cells can also be affected by radiation, but most recover and go back to working the way they should. While Some radiation treatments (systemic radiation therapy) use radioactive substances that are given in a vein or by mouth. Even though this type of radiation does travel throughout the body, the radioactive substance mostly collects in the area of the tumor, so there’s still little effect on the rest of the body. Who gets radiation therapy? More than half of people with cancer get radiation therapy. Sometimes, radiation therapy is the only cancer treatment needed and sometimes it's used with other types of treatment. The decision to use radiation therapy depends on the type and stage of cancer, and other health problems a patient might have. What are the goals of radiation therapy? Most types of radiation therapy don’t reach all parts of the body, which means they’re ...

If you need What are the most common side effects, for instance? How long will they last? And, is there any way to prevent or reduce them? To learn more, we went to What side effects does radiation therapy typically cause in breast cancer patients? There are two “flavors” of side effects from radiation therapy, regardless of what The most common early side effects of radiation therapy in breast cancer patients are When fatigue occurs, it usually appears toward the end of treatment. But many patients report that it’s mild or not as bad as the kind they experienced with What are the most common late radiation therapy side effects in breast cancer patients? The skin of the breast or chest does not always go back to its normal color. So, there can be persistent tanning in the areas exposed to radiation. Daily moisturizing after you’ve finished treatment can help this fade. Radiation can also cause a tightening or hardening of soft tissues, so the exposed areas of the breast or chest wall might not feel as soft or as flexible as they once did. Stretching and physical therapy can be helpful to improve this. You may also notice little spider veins called telangiectasias, where the blood vessels have widened and become more visible under the skin’s surface. Radiation therapy for breast cancer can slightly increase the risk of developing MD Anderson. So, I’ve never seen pericarditis from breast radiation even once in my 20 years here. There’s also a risk of There’s also a very low ...