Why radiation after mastectomy

Regardless of the radiation therapy approach, Dr. McCormick says most women are happy with their decision to have breast-conserving surgery plus radiation rather than a mastectomy.

The radiation treatments are not difficult for most patients. They can go to work and carry out normal activities without visible physical side effects, she notes. The good news is that both whole-breast and partial-breast radiation therapy after a lumpectomy are effective in preventing early-stage cancers from recurring, according to Dr. But partial-breast radiation therapy may not be right for younger women who have not gone through menopause. Breast cancer in these women tends to be more aggressive and less likely to respond to treatments.

McCormick says. Women should talk to their doctor in order to make the best choice. Over the past decade, MSK surgeons have been leaders in developing guidelines to spare many women from a second surgery after lumpectomy. Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer.

We have a radiation therapy team dedicated solely to breast cancer care. Learn more about your treatment options and how our experts can help. Some women with breast cancer will need radiation, in addition to other treatments. Radiation therapy is used in several situations:. The main types of radiation therapy that can be used to treat breast cancer are external beam radiation therapy EBRT and brachytherapy.

This is the most common type of radiation therapy for women with breast cancer. A machine outside the body focuses the radiation on the area affected by the cancer. Which areas need radiation depends on whether you had a mastectomy or breast-conserving surgery BCS and whether or not the cancer has reached nearby lymph nodes. If you will need external radiation therapy after surgery, it is usually not started until your surgery site has healed, which often takes a month or longer.

If you are getting chemotherapy as well, radiation treatments are usually delayed until chemotherapy is complete. Before your treatment starts, the radiation team will carefully figure out the correct angles for aiming the radiation beams and the proper dose of radiation.

They will make some ink marks or small tattoos on your skin to focus the radiation on the right area. Ask your health care team if the marks they use will be permanent. Radiation therapy usually begins three to eight weeks after surgery unless chemotherapy is planned. When chemotherapy is planned, radiation usually starts three to four weeks after chemotherapy is finished.

You will likely have radiation therapy as an outpatient at a hospital or other treatment facility. A common treatment schedule course historically has included one radiation treatment a day, five days a week usually Monday through Friday , for five or six weeks.

This course is still commonly used in people who require radiation to the lymph nodes. Increasingly, doctors are recommending shorter treatment schedules hypofractionated treatment. Whole-breast irradiation can frequently be shortened to one to four weeks.

Partial-breast irradiation may be completed in five days or less. These hypofractionated treatment schedules work as well as the longer one and may reduce the risk of some side effects. Your radiation oncologist can help decide the course that is right for you.

Delivery of the radiation may last only a few minutes, but expect to spend 15 to 45 minutes for each session, as it can take several minutes to set you up in the exact same position each day.

This step ensures precise radiation therapy delivery. Radiation therapy is painless. You may feel some discomfort from lying in the required position, but this is generally short-lived. After the session, you're free to go about your regular activities. Take any self-care steps at home that your doctor or nurse recommends, such as taking care of your skin. In some situations, once the main radiation therapy sessions have been completed, your doctor may recommend a radiation boost.

This commonly means additional fractions of radiation directed at the place of highest concern or four to five additional days of treatment. For example, after whole-breast irradiation is complete, a boost of radiation is commonly given to the area where the cancer was removed.

For internal radiation, the radioactive source is inserted once or twice a day for a few minutes in the implanted radiation delivery device.

This is usually done on an outpatient basis and you can leave between sessions. After the course of treatment, the radiation delivery device is removed. You may be given pain medication before this happens. The area may be sore or tender for several days or weeks as the tissue recovers from the surgery and radiation. After you complete radiation therapy, your radiation oncologist or other medical professionals will schedule follow-up visits to monitor your progress, look for late side effects and check for signs of cancer recurrence.

Make a list of questions you want to ask members of your care team. Explore Mayo Clinic studies of tests and procedures to help prevent, detect, treat or manage conditions. Radiation therapy for breast cancer care at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Radiation therapy Open pop-up dialog box Close.

Radiation therapy External beam radiation uses high-powered beams of energy to kill cancer cells. The latest on newly diagnosed breast cancer Up-to-date information on recurrent breast cancer Specialized treatment information for high risk breast cancer Error Select a topic. Email address. Thank you for subscribing You will receive the first breast cancer email in your inbox shortly, which will include information on treatment, diagnosis, surgery and how breast cancer teams at Mayo Clinic approach personalized care.

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