Succinct Review Of Normal Radiation Treatment For Breast Cancer
The prospect of facing cancer in your own life or that of a loved one is a frightening prospect. Much of that fear comes from not understanding steps that can be taken and necessary medical procedures.
Fortunately, cancer patients have a number of key treatments available to counter their diseases. The earlier the diagnosis, the greater the likelihood of long-term survival.
One of the keys, however, is understanding what to do and the procedures available once the symptoms have been diagnosed and the disease is confirmed.
For most women undergoing therapeutic radiation, breast cancer is the reason why. It is the most common cancer among women in the United States, and radiation therapy is one of the most widely used treatments. To learn more about radiation and how and why it’s used, read on.
About Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy works by using high-energy, high-dose rays that either kill cancer cells completely or stop them from dividing and spreading. Because cancer cells grow and divide quickly, they’re more susceptible to radiation treatments than healthy cells.
At What Stages Radiation is Considered
Radiation can be used to treat almost any stage of breast cancer. It’s most often used as the primary treatment in stage one and stage two breast cancer, but in conjunction with surgery or after a mastectomy.
Radiation: After Lumpectomy Surgery for Breast Cancer Treatment
After a lumpectomy, radiation therapy is typically recommended to prevent a relapse or recurrence of the cancer. This kind of recurrence is called in-breast recurrence.
The risk for in-breast recurrence hovers at around 30 percent if radiation therapy is not given to the patient after a lumpectomy. Yet, if the patient receives radiation therapy, that risk is reduced to a fraction (between 5 and 10 percent).
Despite the survival benefits for radiation therapy after a lumpectomy, it’s not for everyone. If you’ve had radiation before, suffer from a connective tissue disease like lupus or are pregnant, you should not undergo radiation therapy.
Radiation After a Mastectomy
After a full mastectomy, some doctors may still recommend radiation therapy to prevent the cancer from recurring on the chest wall. You are considered at risk for recurrence if your underarm lymph nodes test positive for cancer, you had a tumor that was larger than 5 centimeters in diameter or the cancer was dangerously close to the chest wall when it was removed.
The value of radiation to destroy a minimal amount of positive lymph nodes is somewhat controversial. Some practitioners argue that it prevents recurrence but may lead to other problems such as heart issues, as radiation can affect the coronary arteries.
Side Effects of Radiation
Radiation is a cumulative process, meaning side effects tend to become more pronounced as the treatment progresses and continues.
In general, the most noticeable side effect is fatigue - constantly feeling tired, weak and unable to tackle daily tasks. If you’re heading into an upcoming course of radiation therapy treatments, you may want to consider taking time off your job or simply reduce your workload both at the office and at home.
Skin irritation, itchiness, redness, shininess, soreness, peeling, blistering, swelling, decreased sensitization, hypersensation are all also common side effects of radiation. Breast cancer survivors often compare them to symptoms similar to those experienced after a painful sunburn. As the treatment ends, these symptoms gradually fade and go away.