What are the most common side effects of radiation therapy for breast cancer?
The main short-term side effects of external beam radiation therapy to the breast are:
- Swelling in the breast.
- Skin changes in the treated area similar to a sunburn (redness, skin peeling, darkening of the skin)
- Fatigue.
Does radiation destroy lymph nodes?
But, Giuliano points out, most patients with early-stage breast cancer also have radiation therapy, which kills cancer cells in the lymph nodes. Chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and targeted therapy — medication prescribed to some women based on the type of breast cancer they have — also destroys cancer in lymph nodes.
Can radiation treat cancer in lymph nodes?
Many people have radiation therapy to their lymph nodes as part of their treatment for lymphoma. There are many different groups of lymph nodes in your body (see Figure 1). During your radiation therapy treatments, beams of radiation will be aimed at the group(s) of lymph nodes where the cancer is.
What is the treatment for locally advanced breast cancer?
WHAT IS LOCALLY ADVANCED BREAST CANCER? Although the likelihood of curing LABC is lower than it would be if the cancer were small and confined to the breast, cure is possible with aggressive treatment. In most cases, this requires a combination of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery.
What happens to lymph nodes after radiation?
Radiation treatments also can affect the lymphatic system. Radiation therapy can cause the formation of scar tissue that presses on or narrows the remaining lymph vessels and nodes. This interferes even further with the flow of lymph out of the arm and upper body.
What is radiation boost?
Radiation Boost. After radiation therapy to the whole breast, you may have more radiation (called a boost) to the part of the breast that had the tumor. This boost increases the amount of radiation given to the area at highest risk for breast cancer recurrence.
Is boost radiation necessary?
Adding a boost to whole breast radiation (WBI) following breast-conserving surgery (BCS) may help improve local control, but it increases the total cost of treatment and may worsen cosmetic outcomes.
What does radiation treatment do to lymph nodes?
If lymph nodes or lymph vessels have been damaged during radiation therapy, lymph fluid may not drain properly. If lymph fluid builds up, it can cause swelling in the area being treated. Lymphoedema usually occurs in an arm or leg, but can also affect other parts of the body.
What stage of cancer is locally advanced?
Stage 3 cancer is sometimes referred to as locally advanced cancer. In this stage, the tumor may have grown to a specific size, the cancer may consist of multiple tumors, and/or the cancer may have spread to adjacent lymph nodes, organs or tissue.
Is locally advanced breast cancer metastatic?
Doctors may also call metastatic breast cancer “advanced breast cancer.” However, this term should not be confused with “locally advanced breast cancer,” which is breast cancer that has spread to nearby tissues or lymph nodes but not to other parts of the body.
How many lymph nodes are in the armpit?
The number of axillary lymph nodes can vary from person to person, ranging from five nodes to more than 30. After a breast cancer diagnosis, a doctor will often check whether cancer cells have spread to the axillary lymph nodes.