Radiotherapy for Breast Cancer
Most breast cancer patients wonder why radiation is necessary if a breast cancer has been removed. Despite local removal of the cancer tissue, about 30% of women will have a relapse without radiotherapy. Pathologists often have difficulty determining if there is a clear margin of normal tissue surrounding the cancer, given the difficulty of measuring of minuscule amounts of cancer cells. It is also known that there may be "skip" areas between the cancer tissue and small hard-to-detect satellite cancer nodules in the immediate vicinity. Thus, in spite of clear margins, cancer cells may be resting on the other side of the biopsy margins. Cells may have migrated through the breast duct system and come to rest outside of the biopsy site as well. Radiotherapy is important because it has a good chance of destroying those random cancer cells beyond the breast cancer margins. The method of radiotherapy involves the use of a machine called linear accelerator, which converts radioactive particles into a high-energy radiation beam that is used to treat a specific, defined area of the body. Radiation affects cells in the area of the tissue beneath the directed beam of radioactive particles and dividing cells are affected more by radiation than resting, non-cancerous cells. Cancer cells are, therefore, more affected than healthy cells, but both cell types are damaged by radiation. On the other hand, normal cells have a greater ability to repair themselves following radiation exposure, compared to cancer cells. Radiation places cancer cells into a cell death cycle at the time of the next scheduled cell division. This cell death cycle is known as apoptosis. Radiation delivered to the chest area is sometimes also recommended following breast resection (mastectomy) if the cancer extended to or through the surgical margins or if the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. The addition of radiotherapy in these situations reduces recurrence risk considerably. So is radiation always necessary? If it were easy to pick 60 to 70 percent of women who would not have a local recurrence, then radiotherapy could be optional in most cases. Unfortunately, this is not so easy to do. If the cancer is small, with a large clear margin of non-cancerous tissue and if there is no local spread to the lymphatic system, then one might consider observation alone and no radiation may be necessary, especially if the woman's breast has a large amount of fat tissue. As a woman ages, the ratio of fat tissue to glandular tissue increases. It is quite normal for the female breast to contain significant amounts of fat, which is not necessarily related to obesity. In fact, thin women can have breasts that contain a large percentage of fat. Thus, the fat content of the breasts may be a factor in considering the need for radiotherapy after mastectomy. There are adverse effects from radiation to the breast. It is usual to have some skin changes, which will manifest as redness and some inflammation that usually heals over time. 90% of women have an excellent cosmetic result once healing is visible. 10% have some fibrous tissue formation, shrinkage of the breast and a reduction in skin elasticity and sensitivity in the breast area. There are several treatments that can be used on the breast skin to facilitate healing and reduce the long-term effects of radiation.
Other Articles
Breast Cancer: Battleground Stories A slip of paper with the information below was handed to me by one of the brave women I had the pleasure of knowing during the meeting of a local support group. She said, “Whatever you do, make sure at least one person reads it.” ”Of all the cancer related deaths, breast cancer is the second cause of death after lung cancer among women ...Breast Cancer More Lethal Among Young Black Women A recent study released in Chicago in early-August this year said that young black women with breast cancer were “far more likely” to get a more lethal and aggressive form of cancer compared to white women. The study covered a total of 496 women below the age of 55 who had been diagnosed with breast cancer from 1993 to 1996.The study sugg ...Smarten Up People, Flush Toxins Away First of all I want to tell you how fit I am today, then I will tell you how I used to be. I know you are saying to yourself, why I should be Interested how this guy feels.Well my friends there is a darn good reason for this.My name is Ralph Morton, I am 78 years old and I feel like I am 55. I play golf on a regular basis and sh ...Breast Augmentation Over time, breasts may begin to lose volume or their shape changes. This can be caused by weight loss, childbirth, or just through aging. Women who desire a fuller bustline also use breast augmentation. Breast augmentation is a procedure in which an implant is surgically placed behind each breast. These implants increase the breasts’ volume ...Negative Effects of Alcohol and Fertility Consumption of alcohol comes under lifestyle factors that affects both male fertility and women's fertility. Though it is not yet established, what is its total effect or actually how much of it can affect infertility, but its effect behind some women's unexplained infertility cannot be denied.Effects of Alcohol on Women's Fertility ...Mammograms Are No Joke - They Can Save Lives! There are so many jokes about mammograms! Have you heard the one about the fridge door …or the bookends …or the garage floor? Thanks to all the jokes, “Mammogram” has become a household word, and it’s not that I don’t have a sense of humor, but as a mammography technologist, I’ve heard the jokes many times. I think the jokes are embarrassing for ...Should You Get Rid Of Extra Weight As Well Get Rid Of Toxins We are all exposed to thousands of toxins and chemicals on a daily basis at work, in the home, through the air we breathe, our food and water supply, and through the use of pharmaceutical drugs. In addition, we are eating more sugar and processed foods than ever before in human history and regularly abuse our bodies with various stimulants and s ...Finding the Spirit - Identifying the Enemy In the daily fight for survival our vision is blurred because our health is compromised. This is when the enemy attacks- we lose focus and become vulnerable. We doubt our inner strength and become discouraged and depressed.Sometimes it seems like the fates are against us. However, life's obstacles should not deter us from our personal tri ...My First Thermographic Experience I had been a bit nervous all day wondering what my thermogram procedure would entail. Would I need to undress completely? Would I be given one of those paper gowns that opens in the front and barely covers me? Would there be any heat coming out of the camera? I had been avoiding a mammogram after reading the latest information about the risk ...Wine Tasting Parties: 4 Easy Steps to Hosting a Great Wine Tasting Party Thomas Jefferson said, “Good wine is a necessity of life for me”. No wonder he was one of our founding fathers!More and more people are drinking wine these days and why not? It’s readily acknowledged by the medical community that drinking red wine in moderation has a myriad of health benefits including lowering your risk of contracting ...My Hair Is Falling Out Does this sound familiar?Are you wondering why your hair is falling out when you wash or brush your hair?I was wondering the same thing when I gave birth to my third child. Having three kids in a row can really deplete your bodies’ natural vitamins. If you have this problem, then I would suggest you do several things. First, get ri ...Breast Cancer for Beginners Introduction Because of the social changes, which has brought increased number of workingwoman and hence delayed childbearing, there has been a steep rise in the number of breast cancer patients in the last few decades. But as the incidence of the patients has risen so has raised the modality of treatments and the success rates. Also scienti ...Anti-Aging Therapy Today, anti aging therapy is a rapidly growing area in medicine. What is anti aging therapy?To begin with, scientists do not have an answer or a so-called "magic bullet," to revere the effects of aging. There are some therapies that have shown some signs of anti aging effects, but it is still a strong belief that the best way to effective ...David Berkowitz and His Revenge Addiction David was born on June 1, 1953 in an undesirable circumstance. He was a product of a thirteen year affair with a business man who has his own child. The father of David vowed to leave his mother unless she gave up the child, so she arranged for his adoption. Three days after David’s birth Nathaniel and Pearl Berkowitz brought him home. Nat and P ...Fewer People Dying From Colon Cancer Luckily fewer people are dying from Colon Cancer each year in this is due to good education and early detection of those who are potentially at risk. How do you know if you are at risk? Well if someone in your immediate family has had colon cancer you might be more susceptible.If you are over 45 years old and you have found you are pass ...How To Prevent From Developing A Cyst and Natural Remedies Cysts are abnormal growths occur in any part of the body. These abnormal growths are usually characterized by an enclosed sac filled with fluids. The cysts that are associated with malignant tumors or infections may develop into cancer. It is advisable to remove cysts immediately even if no pain is felt by the person. There is a common but ...Treating Breast Cancer It wasn't that long ago that a diagnosis of breast cancer was almost akin to a death sentence. Nowadays, however, there are many options for treating breast cancer, and the chances of success are high. Factors such as the type of breast cancer and how developed it is have the biggest influence on the outcome of treatment.So what treatme ...Fight Cancer With Broccoli Sprouts Mom was right to insist on us eating our vegetables. She knew they built health and gave us the minerals we need. Now scientists have found that we can eat foods to help us both prevent cancer and fight cancer.Take Broccoli sprouts. Broccoli sprouts are rich in a compound that provides significant protection against breast cancer and colo ...Keeping Women's Health in Check If a woman ever experienced unusually painful menstruation or noticed lumps in their breasts and vaginal discharge similar to cottage cheese, there is a great possibility she's in trouble. Any sensible woman should immediately set an appointment and see her trusted gynecologist. Women's health is often a subject taken for granted. Most women wai ...Health Risk of Soy Are you aware of the health risk of soy?Do you honestly believe soy is a health food? After studying this document and performing some research on your own you will probably change your mind. Soy is literally an anti-nutrient. It may contain heavy metals such as aluminum and can do harm to your hormonal balance.Soy may slow or acc ...The Not so Lonely Road of Breast Cancer Many women of today’s biggest fear is breast cancer. With staggering statistics of over a million women each year being diagnosed each year, it is not hard to understand why there is this shadow of worry.Improvements in technology have allowed the scientific and medical world to more accurately screen and detect the condition, but unfort ...Breast Cancer Ribbons: The Pink Symbol Of Our Times Certainly in this day and age nearly every worthy cause uses a ribbon and certainly without going in to too much detail and they way in which people use them, the ribbon which I feel is more important than most is the breast cancer ribbon.Many women will agree that breast cancer is an enemy to any woman and although awareness concerning t ...Breast Cancer; Facts and Figures It would not be surprising, therefore, that any ailment or condition that endangers the look, health and functionality of this vital body part would be a real source of worry to every lady.Breast cancer, despite all medical and technological advances, as been on the rise in the last 50 years or so. The figures that stare us in the face wh ...Medical Malpractice Suits: Death By Medicine A recent report has found that Americans are more frightened of dying at the hands of their doctor than they are of a plane crash. The overwhelming majority of those who participated in the survey said that information about malpractice suits and medical errors would be the single most deciding factor in trusting a healthcare provider. These peo ...
|