Radiation therapy remains one of the most common tools for breast cancer treatment, but it has been refined considerably over the years.
Radiation is designed in two different types: external or internal.
External radiation treatments utilize a highly energized and highly focused light beam to rid the body of cancer cells and their surrounding tissues. The light beam cannot be seen with the human eye however it is semi-transparent allowing it to pass through your skin. Cancer cells are uniquely composed, so therefore they all have a different reaction to the treatment.
Healthy cells are in the path of the radiation and are affected by it. But, as cancer cells are actively dividing and growing in abnormal ways, their function is more readily interrupted. They may absorb a much higher percentage of the radiative energy than healthy cells. That energy kills the cancer cells. The beam may also destroy the blood vessels around the tumor that the cancer generates in order to feed itself.
Radiation performed internally is often called brachyytherapy. It is similar to chemotherapy. Instead of utilizing drugs to affect a chemical change a small amount of radioactive material is placed within the body. The material then emits radiation targeting cancer cells, destroying them from within the body.
Internal radiation therapy isn't as common as external. But just like with any other treatment method when and how it is utilized is something that is determined after you meet with a specialist.
Radiation therapy is usually used before or with another treatment. After an individual undergoes a modified mastectomy, their oncologist could recommend that they also receive a course of radiation treatment that lasts six to eight weeks.
The goal is to ensure that any cancerous cells the surgeon couldn't remove are destroyed by the radiation. But it's a less intensive treatment since using radiation to kill the entire cancer would involve higher and longer doses.
Similarly, radiation treatments may accompany chemotherapy. Since each case is unique, the patient and oncologist will determine what's best for each person. In other cases, it may be used solely to relieve symptoms without any expectation of cure.
Despite the high energy in the beam, radiation treatments themselves are painless. There are often uncomfortable side effects, however.
Radiation treatments can produce fatigue, particularly in the later stages of treatment. Treatments are often given five days a week for several weeks, sometimes twice per day. In these cases, the fatigue can last for a few weeks or longer after treatment ends.
Having skin issues is a rather common side effect. Because radiation is absorbed by the surrounding breast tissue. In these areas the individual might experience symptoms like redness, soreness, and itching. These individual's might notice less sensation on and around the breast. It might also be notices under the arm and in surrounding areas. Radiation does not cause an individual to lose hair unless it is directly applied to the head, which usually isn't the case during breast cancer treatment.
In cases that are more severe the immune system might be compromised, especially if radiation is being applied to an individual's lymph nodes. Lymph nodes and the vessels that connect to them and run through the body are a vital part of the immune system and radiation can potentially work to decrease their level of effectiveness.
Luckily, the side effects of radiation are typically short. Aside from the most extreme instances usually organs, lymph nodes and other bodily functions and components aren't completely destroyed or harmed beyond repair during radiation treatment. However, their function could be temporarily hindered, but the body will quickly bounce back.
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