Radiation Therapy Process Breast Cancer

The purpose of apbi is to provide a potentially more convenient treatment option compared to traditional whole breast radiation while attempting to provide similar rates of cancer control.

Radiation therapy process breast cancer.

Many people who get radiation therapy experience fatigue. Learn more about possible side effects. The process of radiation therapy will be customized for patients depending on which form of radiation therapy patients and their physicians choose as their options. The oncologist or radiation technician uses a special x ray machine called a simulator and the process is called simulation because the treatment is being simulated or not really given.

External beam radiation therapy delivers radiation from a machine outside the body. A machine outside the body focuses the radiation on the area affected by the cancer. These steps include initial consul tation simulation treatment planning treatment delivery and post. From basic information about cancer and its causes to in depth information on specific cancer types including risk factors early detection diagnosis and treatment options you ll find it here.

What happens during your radiation therapy treatment depends on the kind of radiation therapy you receive. Radiation therapy has side effects because it not only kills or slows the growth of cancer cells it can also affect nearby healthy cells. Each session is quick lasting about 15 minutes. Overall there are five basic steps of radiation therapy that we can share to give patients an idea of what to expect.

If radiation therapy is recommended as a part of your treatment your provider will review in detail the proposed treatment the reasons for recommending the treatment and the potential risks and side effects of such treatment. Radiation therapy for breast cancer uses high energy x rays protons or other particles to kill cancer cells. Other side effects depend on the part of the body that is being treated. Radiation therapy most often uses x rays but protons or other types of energy also can be used.

Whether you or someone you love has cancer knowing what to expect can help you cope. Brain metastasis brain tumors breast cancer view all close cancer types c. It is usually only appropriate for select patients with early stage breast cancer that has not spread to lymph nodes. The term radiation therapy most often refers to external beam radiation therapy.

Rapidly growing cells such as cancer cells are more susceptible to the effects of radiation therapy than are normal cells. Because it is so important to position the angles of radiation accurately the planning session can sometimes last up to an hour. It is the most common radiation therapy treatment for cancer.