Radiation treatment exposes a breast cancer tumor to a high dose of damaging radiation. During and after treatment, cells within the breast tumor experience massive damage that ultimately lead to breast cancer cell death. Although an effective treatment for breast cancer, radiation treatment can lead to a number of unpleasant side effects and carries a small risk for developing other forms of cancer in the future, according to the American Cancer Society. Breast cancer patients looking to forgo radiation treatment may undergo a number of treatment alternatives to fight breast cancer.
More Aggressive Surgery
Many breast cancer patients undergo radiation therapy in combination with less-aggressive types of breast cancer therapy. Women undergoing a lumpectomy, a breast-conserving cancer surgery, generally receive radiation therapy after treatment to kill any cancer cells remaining after the surgery. Breast cancer patients wishing to avoid radiation therapy may opt for a more aggressive breast cancer treatment, a mastectomy. During a mastectomy, the surgeon removes the breast tumor as well as healthy breast tissue, the skin and nipple, lymph nodes around the breast and may also remove some chest muscles under the affected breast. With more extensive tissue removal than a lumpectomy, the surgeon stands a better chance of removing all the cancer cells, relieving the need for radiation treatment.
Hormone Therapy
Hormone therapy may also present a viable alternative to radiation treatment for some women with breast cancer. Normal breast cells contain proteins called hormone receptors. These proteins bind to specific hormones in the blood, such as estrogen, and react by proliferating. Some forms of breast cancers also contain these hormone receptors, and the presence of estrogen in the blood can trigger cancer growth. Hormone therapy seeks to disrupt estrogen signaling to breast cells, stopping the growth signals and therefore stopping cancer progression. Women who seek to undergo hormone therapy must first undergo medical testing to ensure their breast cancer contains hormone receptors, as cancers without these receptors do not respond to hormone-related treatments. The National Cancer Institute indicates hormone therapy can lead to a number of side effects, including hot flashes and the formation of blood clots.
Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Therapy
The use of targeted therapies, such as tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy, can also present a treatment alternative to radiation. Tyrosine kinases are proteins found within the cell that help promote cell growth and survival, two essential steps in breast cancer development. During cancer progression, breast cancer cells over-activate tyrosine kinases, and this over-activity allows the cell to evade death, while signaling for the cell to proliferate out of control. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as lapatinib, can effectively treat some forms of breast cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute.
