1. Why Radiation?
The American Cancer Society's (ACS) Treatment Guidelines for breast cancer patients say radiation is used to destroy cancer cells left behind in the breast, chest wall or lymph nodes after surgery. It is considered a local treatment, targeted at the breast area only. Radiation treatments are usually given 5 days a week for 6 to 7 weeks. Radiation is used in most cases when you are trying to save the breast. Radiation may also be needed after a mastectomy if the tumor exceeded 5 cm in size, or with positive lymph nodes.
2. How Does Radiation Work?
Radiation is a beam of high-energy rays that can destroy or slow the growth of cancer cells. There are external beam radiation treatments and internal radiation treatments. The most common one is the external beam that delivers a precisely focused beam of radiation from a machine outside of the body. The other method involves placing tiny radioactive pellets in or near the tumor. These pellets also may be placed in the tumor site as a boost to the external radiation dose.
3. Radiation Side Effects
The most common side effects of radiation include swelling and heaviness in the breast, sunburn-like skin changes and fatigue. These usually subside within about 6 to 12 months after treatment. If the lymph nodes under the arm are treated, lymphedema can develop. Lymphedema creates swelling in the arm caused by excess fluid that collects after lymph nodes and vessels are removed by surgery or treated by radiation.
4. Chemotherapy
While radiation is targeted directly to the breast area, chemotherapy is a systemic treatment intended to reach cancer cells that may have spread beyond the breast and nearby tissues. Chemotherapy usually is delivered directly into the vein so that it can travel throughout the entire body. Doctors give chemotherapy in cycles with a recovery period between treatments. The treatments are usually spaced out between every two or three weeks but some are given more often. The cycles last from between three to six months depending on the drugs used.
5. Chemotherapy Side Effects
The side effects of chemotherapy depend on the types of drugs used but some of the most common side effects include nausea, vomiting, mouth sores, hair loss, changes in your menstrual cycle if you are a woman, fatigue and change of appetite. Premenopausal women often go into early menopause and experience infertility from chemotherapy drugs. Talk to your doctor for more information.
