Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is a cause of concern, all over the world. It can occur in men too, but the percentage of breast cancer in men is very low when compared to women. Women from economically backward regions, as well as women from highly developed countries in Europe, America, are becoming victims of breast cancer. It is the most common type of cancer found in women and the number of women having breast cancer is increasing very fast, day by day. Auto or self examination of the breast should be done as we all know how serious the cancer can be. Women, after the age of 40, should undergo mammography every year. This helps detect the cancer at a very early stage. Useful information available on net should be read from time to time. After the diagnosis of breast cancer, the surgeon removes cancerous lump from the breast (lumpectomy) or in some cases, he may remove the whole breast (mastectomy). The patient then undergoes cycles of chemotherapy, as required. After chemotherapy, radiation therapy is suggested as it helps kill the remaining cancerous cells. This sequence can be altered, considering different situations.

Radiation for Breast Cancer

Radiation therapy is the process where the cancerous cells in the breast are targeted and killed with the help of high intensity energy beams. If at all, any cancerous cells are left over after operation and chemotherapy, then they are killed in this last stage of breast cancer treatment. The sequence of the therapies, the medicines used, number of chemo cycles and strength and time of radiation, etc., may vary from patient to patient, depending upon the severity of the condition. Radiation therapy for breast cancer can be of two types, external and internal.

External Radiation: The high energy radiation beams are concentrated on the affected breast area and the lymph nodes. The machine called linear accelerator, is huge, specially designed, expensive and needs special care and precautions. The temperature of the room has to be maintained and the radiation proof walls are designed for these rooms. The radiation oncologist first observes mammography charts and operation papers and then marks the area to be treated with red marker. The right dose of the high energy beams is decided by him. Precaution is taken that other surrounding parts of the body are not affected with radiation. The patient has to just lay down on the platform, for some seconds to catch those beams. The treatment is totally painless. The treatment usually goes on for 5 days a week for 5-7 weeks, depending upon the situation. Everyday, the patient has to visit the hospital for 1-2 minutes radiation. Normal tissues can safely tolerate the radiation beams. Sometimes, intra operative radiation in the form of a single dose of radiation is also given to the patients, in the operation room itself, after the surgery and before closing the opened part of the breast.

Internal Radiation: Internal radiation is called partial-breast radiation or brachytherapy. Small pieces of radioactive material called 'seeds' are placed in the area after removal of the cancerous tissue. As the area, closest to the site of original cancer is at the highest risk of recurrence, seeds are kept there as they emit radiation into the surrounding tissue, and kill the cancerous growth. There are different methods of delivering internal radiation, such as using multiple catheters and using balloon catheter device. The cost of radiation therapy for breast cancer is much less than the cost of operation, as well as the cost of chemotherapy. After radiation, following side effects may be noticed.

Radiation Side Effects

• The skin where the radiation is targeted, looks like a sunburn, with redness, itching, burning, possible peeling and soreness. This effect vanishes gradually, once the treatment is over.
• As the radiation affects the normal healthy cells along with the targeted cancerous cells, it may lead to some side effects like increased fatigue and weakness.
• Another side effect of radiation is mild chest pain, which can be due to the swelling and irritation of nearby nerves.
• Loss of appetite is the commonly observed side effect of radiation.
• Discomfort and inflammation of arm pit is observed in some patients.
• Some patients may experience symptoms like nausea, dizziness, and vomiting.
• The immune system of the body is affected due to radiation.

Radiation side effects subside gradually, when the treatment is over or a few days after the treatment. They may vary from patient to patient and are quite tolerable. Healthy lifestyle changes like consuming nutritious and balanced diet, mild exercise and meditation, can help prevent the adverse effects of radiation on the body. Breast cancer is said to be the best cancer, as the survival rate is very high, depending upon the stage, grade and treatment.