Breast Cancer Treatment Options: Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to kill any breast cancer cells that may remain in the area following surgery. Usually, radiation is delivered by a technique called external beam, where a machine shoots X-rays at the breast. Before you undergo radiation, a radiation oncologist and physicist plan the precise delivery of the radiation to minimize radiation to your heart and lungs and maximize the radiation to your breast.

Radiation is recommended if you select to have a lumpectomy. If you had a mastectomy, you may need radiation if your tumor was larger than 5 cm or you had four or more lymph nodes with cancer.

For external radiation therapy, you will go to the hospital or a clinic, generally five days a week for several weeks. The 30-minute external radiation treatment is painless and is similar to getting an X-ray. The effects are cumulative, however, and you may become tired toward the end of the series. You may experience symptoms similar to sunburn - your breast may be pink and somewhat tender. Your radiation oncologist will give you lotions to help easy the discomfort.