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What is Breast Radiation? We Teach You Everything administrator 0 Views • 2 years ago

We teach you about radiation for breast cancer. Learn about the types of breast radiation and how radiation reduces the risk of cancer “local recurrence.”

VISIT THE BREAST CANCER SCHOOL FOR PATIENTS:
http://www.breastcancercourse.org

LIST OF QUESTIONS FOR YOUR DOCTORS:
http://www.breastcancercourse.org/breast-health-updates-latest-videos/

FOLLOW US:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Breas....t-Cancer-School-for-
__________________________________
Questions for your Radiation Oncologist and Breast Surgeon:

1. What are the risks and benefits of radiation?
2. What different radiation options do I have?
3. Can you explain what I should expect during and after radiation?
4. What are the long-term side effects?
5. How can I avoid radiation altogether?

What is Breast Radiation? What is a “Local Recurrence?”

Radiation therapy is very effective at killing cancer cells while sparing the normal surrounding tissue. This is only one component of a comprehensive treatment plan. Breast radiation is generally performed after your tumor has been surgically removed. If you are going to have a lumpectomy surgery to remove your breast cancer, then you will most likely need radiation to reduce the chance cancer will grow back in the surgical area.

Quite simply, radiation reduces the risk of “local recurrence” in the area where the tumor was surgically removed or in nearby areas where the cancer is at risk for recurring in the future. When a “local recurrence” of your cancer does occur, it is a threat to your life. When indicated, radiation reduces this risk of local recurrence, and as a result, may increase your chance of surviving breast cancer.

Is “Whole Breast Radiation” the standard of care?

Breast radiation is most commonly offered to women who undergo a breast conserving lumpectomy for early stage breast cancer. “Whole Breast Radiation” is the most utilized and researched form of radiation after a lumpectomy and is generally considered the “standard of care.” For many women older than 50 with favorable early stage cancer, a cutting-edge, “shorter course” of whole breast radiation can be administered over 4 weeks rather than 6 weeks.

We outline below some other techniques of delivering radiation for breast cancer.

General Radiation Treatment Expectations:
Breast radiation is usually performed as an outpatient procedure within a dedicated radiation center. Depending on the patient and the course of treatment, it is generally well tolerated. A few facts about radiation therapy are listed below.

Expectations during whole breast radiation

The actual treatment takes about 15 minutes (although you will be at the appointment a little bit longer than that to change clothes before and after your treatment)
Radiation does not hurt when administered
Treatments are daily, Monday through Friday for about 4 to 6 weeks
You can work while undergoing radiation treatment

Truths about Radiation:

Breast radiation does not make you feel ill
There is no hair loss with radiation to the breast
You will not become “radioactive” from treatment

Side Effects of Radiation Therapy:

Your breast and skin can become irritated and tender
Some constricting or shrinkage of the treated breast and surrounding tissue may occur
Breast reconstruction and implants can be affected
General fatigue is common
Your breast and ribs can be sore for an extended period of time
You cannot have radiation if you are pregnant
There is a small risk of increasing coronary heart disease
There are very rare cancers that can be caused by breast radiation

Other types of breast radiation:

Breast Brachytherapy

This shorter course (1 week) of radiation is applied directly to the area of surgery using devices made for this purpose. The results are promising for women over 50 years old with favorable tumors that undergo a lumpectomy. Not everyone is a candidate for brachytherapy. Review our video lesson on “Breast Brachytherapy“ to learn more.

Intra-Operative Radiation Therapy

Intra-Operative Radiation Therapy (IORT) is an evolving form of radiation therapy available at some hospitals. It is currently appropriate for only a small proportion of patients with early stage breast cancer. The benefit is that the radiation is administered and completed during the lumpectomy surgery in the operating room.

Post-Mastectomy Radiation Therapy

Post-mastectomy radiation therapy is the term for applying radiation to the area of the mastectomy and lymph nodes, usually performed about 4 weeks after surgery. It is generally recommended for those who are at a high risk to have a local recurrence of their cancer.

Palliative Radiation Therapy

Palliative radiation is used to treat the symptoms of cancer growing in the breast or within other parts of the body. An example is someone who has severe back pain and leg weakness from breast cancer in their spine. Palliative radiation to the spine can help alleviate these symptoms.

Will I Survive Breast Cancer? Learn About Your Risk administrator 6 Views • 2 years ago

We teach you how to understand the risk to your life from your breast cancer. Ask your breast cancer specialists about the specific threat for your unique cancer situation.

VISIT THE BREAST CANCER SCHOOL FOR PATIENTS:
http://www.breastcancercourse.org

LIST OF QUESTIONS FOR YOUR DOCTORS:
http://www.breastcancercourse.org/breast-health-updates-latest-videos/

FOLLOW US:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Breas....t-Cancer-School-for-
______________________________________
Questions for your Breast Cancer Specialists:
1. Am I going to die of breast cancer?
2. What is the percentage chance I could die in the next 5 years?
3. Do factors like “triple negative receptors” or “HER2-positive receptors” or “my youth” make my chance of dying higher than the average statistics?
4. Will I die of breast cancer?

This is a difficult question to answer early in your cancer care but it is still worth asking. Many people just diagnosed with cancer have no idea how much of a risk to their life their unique situation poses. Most breast cancers carry a low risk of recurrence, especially early stage cancers. The answer is usually reassuring.

What is the chance I could die in the next 5 years?

The average 5-year survival rate for all people with breast cancer is 89%. The 10-year rate is 83%; and the 15-year rate is 78%. If the cancer is located only in the breast (Stage I), the 5-year survival rate is 99%. More than 70% of breast cancers are diagnosed at an Early Stage.

All survival statistics are primarily based on the stage of breast cancer when diagnosed. Some of the other important factors are also listed below that affect survival.

Breast Cancer Stage is important:

Non-invasive breast cancer

Stage 0 breast cancer can be also described as a “pre-cancer.” If you have DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In-situ) you can be quite confident you will do well. DCIS does not spread to other organs. What can be concerning is when an invasive cancer grows back in the area of a prior lumpectomy for DCIS. This type of local recurrence does carry a risk to your life. Luckily, this does not happen frequently. Also, be aware that those who have had DCIS in the past are at a higher risk for developing an entirely new, invasive breast cancer. Take our video lesson on “Non-Invasive DCIS“ (here) to learn more.

Early Stage “Invasive breast cancer“

Stage I invasive breast cancer has an excellent survival rate. The chance of dying of Stage I breast cancer within five years of diagnosis is 1 to 5% if you pursue recommended treatments.

Stage II breast cancer is also considered an early stage breast cancer. There is a slightly increased risk to your life versus a Stage I breast cancer. Altogether, the risk of Stage II breast cancer threatening your life in the next 5 years is about 15%.

Later-Stage breast cancer (more advanced cancer)

Stage III breast cancer has a higher risk to your life, with a 72% survival at 5 years. There are many individual and tumor specific factors that can change this survival rate.

Inflammatory breast cancer is a more worrisome Stage III breast cancer. Overall, the 5-year survival rate for inflammatory breast cancer is about 50%.

Stage IV breast cancer means that the cancer has spread beyond the breast to other organs or parts of the body. These metastases are not viewed in general to be curable. The treatment is aimed at helping people live longer with their cancer. This is the type of cancer carries up to 75 to 80% risk of dying within five years.

What tumor factors threaten my life more?

There are important “tumor biology” factors not well reflected in survival statistics by breast cancer “stage.” Below we list a few important factors that carry a higher risk to life beyond just the stage of cancer.

“Triple Negative Receptor” breast cancer

Triple negative breast cancer is considered a more aggressive breast cancer. Invariably it does require chemotherapy. If you have a triple negative breast cancer the risk of dying is higher than the standard statistics usually quoted for a particular stage of breast cancer (Stage I – IV). Learn more about “Triple Negative Breast Cancer“ with our video lesson (here)

“HER2-Positive” breast cancer

HER2-positive breast cancers are also more aggressive tumors. But the good news is that we now have incredibly effective, targeted chemotherapy and immunotherapy for HER2-positive cancers. Our video lesson covers “HER2-Positive Breast Cancer“ in more detail (here).

Untreated breast cancer

Untreated breast cancer obviously carries a higher risk of death than those who undergoing treatment. All survival statistics are based on breast cancer that underwent recommended treatment such as surgery, endocrine therapy, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. If you elect to not undergo standard treatment options, your chance of survival will be lower than the standard statistics for survival by stage.

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