Radiation therapy is one of the most widely used methods of breast cancer treatment. Over the years it has evolved immensely.
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 that are located within the path of the radiation are affected by it. As cancer cells actively divide and grow in abnormal ways the way they function is easily interrupted. They could potentially absorb a greater percentage of radiation than healthy cells do. The energy works to kill the cancer cells. The beam also aids in destroying the blood vessels generated by the cancer to feed itself. These vessels are located around the tumor.
Internal radiation therapy, sometimes called brachytherapy, is more akin to chemotherapy. But rather than using drugs per se to affect a chemical change, a small amount of radioactive material is implanted. That material ejects radiation that targets cancer cells, killing them from the inside.
Internal radiation is not as commonly used as external radiation. But just as with any other method of treatment the use of this technique is determined by the oncologist.
Radiation therapy is often used as a precursor or adjunct treatment, accompanying other methods. After a modified mastectomy, for example, an oncologist may recommend a course of radiation treatments lasting six to eight weeks.
The optimal goal of radiation treatment is to make sure that any cancerous cells not removed by the surgeon are destroyed through radiation treatment. Radiation treatment is a treatment that isn’t as intense because using radiation to completely rid the body of cancer would require both longer and higher 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.
Even though the beam is high energy radiation treatments are painless. They do however have awful side effects.
Radiation treatments are capable of causing fatigue, especially in the later treatment stages. Usually treatments are given five days a week for multiple weeks, and sometimes even twice per day. In these instances the fatigue can outlive the length of treatment.
Problematic skin is a fairly common side effect. Because radiation is absorbed by some of the breast tissue an individual might experience redness, soreness, and itching. They might notice decreased sensation on and about the breast, under the arm and even nearby areas. Radiation doesn’t cause hair loss unless it is applied directly to the head, which typically 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.
Fortunately, side effects are usually short lived. Except in the most extreme cases, organs, lymph nodes and other body components are not destroyed or irreparably harmed by radiation treatment. Though function may be temporarily suppressed, the body generally bounces back.
