Radiotherapy treatment is mostly used by doctors after breast surgery. As per surgery and radiotherapy review of research trials, it have been observed that this treatment lower down the risk of coming back of cancer in remaining lymph nodes or breast tissue. And it is also helpful in elongating life of several women.
Women who are in early stage of breast cancer, the cure rate is almost similar whether they are treated with lumpectomy and then radiotherapy. In the treatment radiotherapy for breast cancer, usually all remaining breast tissue are treated after lumpectomy.
Treatment Procedure
One needs to move for radiotherapy outpatient department in hospital for the treatment, radiotherapy for breast cancer. Radiotherapy is actually categorized into several small treatments. If someone wants to get total dose in one go, then it would be quite harmful for unaffected body tissues. Thus, dose is split into several parts
You have to travel to hospital for radiotherapy treatment. You have your treatment in the radiotherapy outpatient department. Radiotherapy is split into a course of small treatments. If you were to have the total dose in one go, it would be too harmful to normal body tissues. So the dose is split into smaller doses that you have each day (or on alternate days) over a number of weeks. Each dose is known as a 'fraction'.
Treatment Planning
radiotherapy for breast cancer is a special treatment which is done by specialists in hospitals. At first visit, patients are treated with large machine called CT simulator. CT simulator or CT scans are used to plan the exact treatment area. A pinprick tattoo is made on the skin of patient. It helps radiographer to line up the radiotherapy machine every time of the treatment. One should avoid washing such marks on skin.
Treatment takes very less time and radiographers make patient comfortable sitting on couch. Radiotherapy for breast cancer is perfectly safe for other people including children living with the patients.