Survival Improved by Radiation After Breast Cancer Surgery
Survival Improved by Radiation After Breast Cancer Surgery
Breast Cancer
What is Breast Cancer?
The term breast cancer refers to a malignant tumor that has developed from cells in the breast. The breast is composed of two main types of tissues: glandular tissues and stromal (supporting) tissues. Glandular tissues house the milk-producing glands (lobules) and the ducts (the milk passages) while stromal tissues include fatty and fibrous connective tissues of the breast. The breast is also made up of lymphatic tissue-immune system tissue that removes cellular fluids and waste.
There are several types of tumors that may develop within different areas of the breast. Most tumors are the result of benign (non-cancerous) changes within the breast. For example, fibrocystic change is a non-cancerous condition in which women develop cysts (accumulated packets of fluid), fibrosis (formation of scar-like connective tissue), lumpiness, areas of thickening, tenderness, or breast pain.
Treatment of a Breast Cancer in India
Mastectomy in India
Mastectomy is the surgical removal of a breast. Surgery is presently the most common treatment for breast cancer. Following mastectomy, immediate or delayed breast reconstruction is possible in many instances.
Types of Mastectomy
There are several different types of surgical procedures used to treat breast cancer. Depending on the location or surgeon who performs the procedure, different terms may be used.
Surgical procedures for breast cancer include : -
* Simple or total mastectomy: removal of the breast, with its skin and nipple, but no lymph nodes. In some cases, a separate sentinel node biopsy is performed to remove only the first one to three axillary (armpit) lymph nodes.................
Radiation Therapy for the Treatment of Breast Cancer in India
Radiation therapy (or radiotherapy) uses high-energy rays to stop cancer cells from growing and dividing. Radiation therapy is often used to destroy any remaining breast cancer cells in the breast, chest wall, or axilla (underarm) area after surgery. Occasionally, radiation therapy is used before surgery to shrink the size of a tumor. A common treatment for early stage breast cancer is breast-conserving therapy. Breast-conserving therapy (BCT) is the surgical removal of a breast lump (lumpectomy) and a surrounding margin of normal breast tissue. BCT is typically followed by at least six to seven weeks of radiation therapy. Treatment with radiation usually begins one month after surgery, allowing the breast tissue adequate time to heal. Radiation therapy may occasionally be recommended for women to destroy remaining cancer cells after mastectomy (surgical removal of the affected breast) or to shrink tumors in patients with advanced breast cancer.
What is radiation therapy, and how does it work ?
Tumors are made up of cells that are reproducing at abnormally high rates. Radiation therapy specifically acts against cells that are reproducing rapidly. Normal cells are programmed to stop reproducing (or dividing) when they come into contact with other cells. In the case of a tumor, this stop mechanism is missing, causing cells to continue to divide over and over. It is the DNA of the cell that makes it capable of reproducing.
How is radiation therapy given ?
Radiation therapy is considered to be a "local" therapy, meaning it treats a specific localized area of the body. This is in contrast to systemic therapies, such as chemotherapy, which travel throughout the body.
There are two main types of radiation therapy : -
* external radiation therapy, where a beam of radiation is directed from outside the body, and internal radiation therapy, also called brachytherapy or implant therapy, where a source of radioactivity is surgically placed inside the body near the tumor.
* External radiation may also be called x-ray therapy, cobalt therapy, proton therapy, or intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). This type of radiation is administered using a machine called a linear accelerator. Treatment can be given once or twice a day, depending on the treatment protocol being used.
Side effects of Radiation therapy
Possible side effects include :-
1. Tiredness (fatigue)
2. Hair loss on the treated body part
3. Skin irritation like a bad sunburn on the treated body part
4. Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, if the abdomen is treated
5. Mouth sores, a sore throat or dry mouth, if the head or neck is treated
These side effects usually go away within a few weeks when the treatment is finished.
There can also be long-term side effects months or years after treatment. These side effects depend on your age, how much radiation you get and what body parts are treated
Possible long-term side effects include : -
1. Damage to the lungs or other organs
2. Infertility
3. Cataracts (caused by TBI)
4. Delays in growth and the ability to learn for some children
5. Risk of getting leukemia or other cancer years later (when given along with chemotherapy)
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