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Breast cancer radiation is an effective treatment for localized cancers. It can be the primary or secondary mode of treatment. In some rarer cases, small tumors may not require surgery. The oncologist may want to try radiation therapy to decide if it will effectively kill the cancer cells without performing surgery. This situation is using the radiation as the primary form of treatment. Because some breast cancer cells can be quite aggressive, this primary form of treatment is only for cases of small-localized tumors. When the doctor even suspects the tumors may be too large or already into other areas, the radiation becomes a secondary form of treatment. This is the most common way to use radiation therapy.

Doctors use breast cancer radiation, typically, as a secondary treatment following surgery. When a cancer tumor is too large or appears to grow too fast, the oncologist will want to get it out of the breast tissue immediately. After completing that surgery, the radiation comes behind to clean up any lingering cancer cells. The therapy goes into the tissues surrounding the cancerous area the doctor removed. It is local in order to minimize damage to healthy tissue. For the most part, this form of treatment is very quick and painless. However, it may require multiple treatments over several weeks for full effect.

There are generally two forms of breast cancer radiation used today. The first is external beam radiotherapy. This is the most common and most widely recognized. The patient goes into a radiation lab and the radiotherapist applies the radiation to the localized area through the skin using a special machine.

The beam of radiation goes through the skin and into the treatment area. The second type of radiotherapy is internal radiotherapy. This includes putting radiation sources inside the area of treatment instead of beaming it through the skin. This form of treatment can require an outpatient procedure because it requires at least a local anesthetic.

For the most part, symptoms from breast cancer radiation are mild. Some people may have nausea, fatigue and skin irritation. Most people find these symptoms are manageable and will eventually go away. Some may have skin issues in the treatment area for weeks or months after the radiation therapy ends. It is important to make sure your oncologist knows of any symptoms you experience. For those with localized cancer, radiation therapy is often the best option with the fewest side effects.

Raphaelo is medical student; he enjoys talking about medical related topics. To learn more about breast cancer radiation, please visit http://www.breastcancerradiation.us.