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The treatment is normally given in the hospital radiotherapy department as a series of short daily sessions. The treatments are usually given from Monday to Friday, with a rest at the weekend. Each treatment takes 10–15 minutes. A course of radiotherapy for breast cancer may last from 3–6 weeks. It is usually given as an outpatient.
Radiotherapy can cause side effects such as skin soreness and tiredness, but most will improve once your treatment has finished. Sometimes radiotherapy can cause long-term side effects. Your doctor will discuss the treatment and possible side effects with you.
External radiotherapy does not make you radioactive and it's perfectly safe for you to be with other people, including children, after your treatment.
If part of the breast has been removed (lumpectomy| or segmental excision| ), radiotherapy is usually given to the remaining breast tissue to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back in that area. The radiotherapy is normally given to the whole breast area, and may also include the underarm (axilla), and the area around the collar bone and at the top of the chest by the breast bone (sternum), where there are lymph nodes.
After a mastectomy| , radiotherapy to the chest wall may be given if your doctor thinks there is a risk that any cancer cells have been left behind.
If a few lymph nodes have been removed and these contained cancer cells, or if no lymph nodes have been removed, radiotherapy may be given to the armpit to treat the remaining lymph nodes. If all the nodes have been removed from under the arm, radiotherapy to the armpit is not usually needed.
Some women may have an extra dose given to the area of the breast where the cancer was. This is known as a booster dose. .
To ensure that you receive maximum benefit from your radiotherapy, it has to be carefully planned. This is done using a CT scanner, which takes x-rays of the area to be treated. Treatment planning is a very important part of radiotherapy and it may take a few visits before the clinical oncologist (the doctor who plans and supervises your treatment) is satisfied with the result.
Marks are usually drawn on your skin to help the radiographer (who gives you your treatment) to position you accurately and to show where the rays will be directed. These marks must stay throughout your treatment, and permanent marks (tattoos) may be used. These are tiny and will only be done with your permission. You may feel a little discomfort while it is being done.
At the beginning of each session of radiotherapy, the radiographer will position you carefully on the couch and make sure you are comfortable. During your treatment you will be left alone in the room, but you will be able to talk to the radiographer, who will be watching you from the next room. Radiotherapy is not painful, but you do have to lie still for a few minutes while the treatment is being given.
If you are going to have radiotherapy, you will need to be able to get your arm into position so that the radiotherapy machine can give the treatment effectively. After surgery for breast cancer, your muscles and shoulder joint may feel sore or stiff. If you can’t move your shoulder normally, it may be painful or difficult to give the treatment. A physiotherapist may teach you some exercises to make the position for treatment feel easier.
Radiotherapy to the breast sometimes causes side effects such as:
These side effects gradually disappear once your course of treatment has finished. The tiredness may continue for some months.
Perfumed soaps, creams or deodorants may irritate your skin and should not be used during the treatment. At the beginning of your treatment you will be given advice on how to look after your skin in the area being treated.
Radiotherapy may make your breast tissue feel firmer. Over a few months or years your breast may shrink slightly. The radiotherapy may also, rarely, leave small red marks on your skin, which are due to tiny broken blood vessels. For many women, however, the appearance of their breast is very good.
Radiotherapy to the breast can sometimes lead to other long-term side effects| . Your doctor will give you more information about the possible side effects of radiotherapy, and we have more information you might find helpful.
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