Radiotherapy is often used for breast cancer. There are 2 types of radiotherapy for breast cancer - external radiotherapy and internal radiotherapy.
Radiotherapy for breast cancer may be given:
Two types of radiotherapy can be used for breast cancer:
You might have both internal and external radiotherapy.
High-energy rays are aimed directly at your cancer cells to destroy them. The radiation only affects the cells in the treated area.
You will need to go to hospital before your treatment for at least one radiotherapy planning session. This involves a CT scan to plan the treatment accurately in the tumour area. Tiny tattoo dots are placed on your skin to help get you into the exact same position for each treatment.
Each treatment only takes a few minutes. You will lie on a bed and be positioned using the tiny dots on your skin as a guide. A machine called a linear accelerator will deliver the beams of radiation to the right place. The machine will move around you but does not touch you. Radiotherapy doesn’t hurt, but you might be a bit uncomfortable from holding your arm in the same position.
You won't be radioactive after your treatment, so you can be around other people safely.
Before treatment, you should be able to raise your elbow to at least shoulder level so that you are comfortable in your treatment position. If you find this difficult, ask to see a physiotherapist before starting treatment. If you are on pain medication after surgery, take your painkillers before you go to your appointment.
Your doctor will let you know how many sessions or treatments you need. Usually you come into hospital for treatment every weekday for a number of weeks. Treatment given after surgery may take as little as 1 week or last up to 4 weeks.
For radiotherapy to relieve symptoms like pain (palliative radiotherapy), you usually have only one or a few treatments.
If you are planning breast reconstruction, external radiotherapy to the breast may affect the type of breast reconstruction you can have. Your doctor and breast care nurse will give you further information.
Everyone is different, so it's hard to predict if you will get any side-effects and if so, which ones. If you do get any side-effects they usually develop during or shortly after your treatment and get better within a few weeks.
Late side-effects may develop some time after treatment. Some side-effects last a long time or may even be permanent.
If you feel unwell or have any other side-effects or symptoms, during or at any time after treatment, tell your doctor, nurse or radiation therapist.
Brachytherapy gives a high dose of radiation to a small area. It’s usually given after breast surgery. Small radioactive pellets (implants) are put into your breast near where the tumour was removed and left for a few days or a few minutes, depending on the dose of radiation. Most people have up to 10 treatments.
The pellets are put in through small tubes (catheters) called applicators, which are put into your breast under local or general anaesthetic. You will have a CT scan to check the tubes are in the right place.
The applicators will be removed after you have finished treatment. You will need to stay in hospital during treatment. You may have brachytherapy instead of external radiotherapy or you may have both.
Your medical team will talk to you about this treatment in greater detail if it is recommended for you.
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