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Cancer Treatment -Radiation a Breast Cancer Treatment Option

Radiation therapy is one of the most widely used methods of breast cancer treatment. Over the years it has evolved immensely.

Radiation is performed two different ways: both internal and external.

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.

Health cells that are near the radiation path are usually affected by it. As cancer cells grow and divide actively in abnormal ways their function is interrupted easily. The cells are capable of absorbing a higher radiation percentage than healthy cells do. The high energy works to kill cancerous cells. The beam also aids in destroying the blood vessels that feed the cancer cells. These vessels are around the tumor and supply the tumor with blood.

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 typically used prior to or in addition to another treatment. After an individual has a modified mastectomy the oncologist usually recommends that they also receive a course of radiation treatment lasting anywhere from 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.

Often radiation treatments are used with chemotherapy. Because every situation and patient is different both the oncologist and the patient will make the decision regarding which treatment method is the best. In some instances radiation treatment is used only to relieve symptoms without expecting a cure for the cancer.

Despite the high energy in the beam, radiation treatments themselves are painless. There are often uncomfortable side effects, however.

Radiation treatments often cause fatigue, especially during the later treatment stages. Often times the treatments are given for five days at a time over a period of multiple weeks, and often times are used twice per day. In those cases the fatigue might outlive the treatment length.

Skin problems are fairly common, since the radiation is absorbed to some degree by the tissues covering the breast. Redness, itching and soreness can occur. There may be decreased sensation around the breast, under the arm and other areas nearby. Hair loss does not occur, unless radiation is applied directly to the head, which is rarely the case when treating breast cancer.

In more extreme cases, the immune system can be compromised, especially if radiation is applied to the lymph nodes in the armpit. Lymph nodes and the connecting vessels that run throughout the body, are a key component of the immune system and radiation can decrease their 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.

Tags: Health and Fitness