What Can You Not Do During Radiation Treatment
Avoid raw vegetables and fruits, and other hard, dry foods such as chips or pretzels. Its also best to avoid salty, spicy or acidic foods if you are experiencing these symptoms. Your care team can recommend nutrient-based oral care solutions if you are experiencing mucositis or mouth sores caused by cancer treatment.
Why Choose To Have Your Breast Radiation Therapy At Memorial Sloan Kettering
- In order to deliver radiation in the best possible way, it takes a dedicated team of doctors, nurses, therapists, physicists, and treatment planners. Our breast cancer team is one of the largest and most experienced in the country.
- Our radiation oncologists have access to and experience with every single form of radiation therapy available. There is not just one best type of radiation for all of the women we care for. But with our deep experience, we can select the best technique for each individual woman and tailor our approach as needed.
- Our team of medical physicists ensures that the radiation dose each woman receives is accurately and safely targeted to cancer tissue and spares nearby normal tissue.
- We consider the details of each unique woman. Our publications have demonstrated that our personalized care leads to superior outcomes.
Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy
Intensity modulated radiation therapy, or IMRT, is a specialized form of 3D-CRT that allows radiation to be more exactly shaped to fit the tumor. With IMRT, the radiation beam can be broken up into many âbeamlets,â and the intensity of each beamlet can be adjusted individually. Using IMRT, it may be possible to further limit the amount of radiation that is received by healthy tissue near the tumor. In some situations, this may also allow a higher dose of radiation to be delivered to the tumor, potentially increasing the chance of a cure.
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Studies On Time To Surgery And Survival
Several studies have been done, but there are some differences in how these were conducted that can affect the results. For example, some studies have looked at the time between a definitive diagnosis and surgery, and others have looked at the time between the onset of symptoms and the time of surgery. Some have looked at averages of all people, whereas others have separated out people based on age, tumor type, and receptor status. Studies can also be skewed, as doctors may recommend surgery sooner for women who have more aggressive tumors. Letâs look at time to surgery and survival rates in different groups of people.
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How Long Does Internal Radiation Therapy Take
Brachytherapy uses radiation implanted inside the body to treat cancer. The radiation implant is placed as close as possible to the tumor in order to concentrate the radiation on the cancer cells and minimize radiation damage on normal tissue around the tumor. The radioactive material is sealed in a thin wire or hollow tube and implanted directly into the cancer affected area on a temporary or permanent basis.
Internal radiation therapy is used when the oncologist decides that the best way to treat the tumor is to expose it to a higher radiation dose. The radioactive implant is closer to the cancerous cells and delivers a higher dose over a shorter period of time. The treatment is ideal for several types of cancers, including breast cancer, brain tumor, gynecological cancer , lung cancer, and head and neck cancer.
The time taken for brachytherapy and whether it is done on an inpatient or outpatient basis depends on the type of therapy used and the nature of the cancer. In some cases, internal radiotherapy can be completed within three to five outpatient treatments of a few minutes each. But in other cases, the radioactive implant may be left in place for up to a week and there is need for a hospital stay during that period.
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How Long Does Radiation Treatment Take
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Radiation therapy delivers controlled, safe and effective doses of radiation to cancerous tumors. The tumor cells are exposed to high doses of radiation that destroy their genetic material and eventually damage or kill them. Hence the cancer can no longer grow, multiply or spread after the treatment. Though the radiation affects all the cells, healthy ones are able to recover fully from the effects of the treatment.
Radiotherapy is generally administered either externally or internally. During external radiation therapythe most common form of the treatmenta machine is used to direct high-energy rays at the cancer. In contrast, internal radiotherapy uses a radioactive source that is temporarily or permanently implanted directly into the cancerous area.
Compliance With Ethical Standards
All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
All procedures performed in this study were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors.
Informed consent was obtained form all individual participants included in the study.
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What To Expect With Internal Radiation
Before you get any internal radiation, youll meet with your radiation oncologist. They will:
- do a physical exam
- ask about your medical history
- go over what your internal radiation treatment will entail
Most internal radiation, or brachytherapy, is given with a catheter. This is a small, flexible tube thats surgically placed into the space left from breast-conserving surgery.
At the end of the catheter is a device that can be inflated inside your breast so that it stays in place for the duration of the treatment.
During your treatment, radiation pellets or seeds are put down the tube and into the inflatable device. They usually stay there for about 10 to 20 minutes or longer, and then theyre removed. How long the radiation pellets stay in place depends on:
- your type of cancer
- other cancer treatments that youve had
Once your course of treatment is over, the catheter and inflatable device will be removed.
Planning Your Radiotherapy Treatment
You will have a hospital appointment to plan your treatment. You will usually have a CT scan of the area to be treated. During the scan, you need to lie in the position that you will be in for your radiotherapy treatment.
Your radiotherapy team use information from this scan to plan:
- the dose of radiotherapy
- the area to be treated.
You may have some small, permanent markings made on your skin. The marks are about the size of a pinpoint. They help the radiographer make sure you are in the correct position for each session of radiotherapy.
These marks will only be made with your permission. If you are worried about them, talk to your radiographer.
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How Long Is Too Long To Wait
How soon you might need to have surgery after a cancer diagnosis can vary. It depends on the type of cancer and other factors. Sometimes cancer surgery needs to happen as soon as possible. Other times, waiting a while is not a problem. And sometimes you might need chemotherapy or radiation before having surgery. Its not unusual for patients to wait a few weeks after learning they have cancer to have surgery. Talk to your doctor and others on your health care team about how long to wait before having surgery. Dont be afraid to ask questions! You might want to ask if you have time to think about other options or get a second opinion.
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Radiation For Metastatic Breast Cancer
For women with breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, radiation can be used to help with symptoms in the affected area. Radiation is particularly useful for cancer that has spread to the bone and is causing pain. Radiation can help relieve pain in approximately 80 percent of women.
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Role Of Regional Nodal Irradiation
Fig. 2
Female patient undergoing right-sided breast and regional nodal radiotherapy including supra/infraclavicular and internal mammary lymph nodes after breast-conserving surgery using a 5-field sliding window IMRT
Fig. 3
Postmastectomy patient with immediate implant-based reconstruction undergoing right sided breast and regional nodal radiotherapy including supra/infraclavicular and internal mammary lymph nodes using a 6-field sliding window IMRT
In summary, these data provide strong evidence that RNI including the IMN should be considered in patients with high volume nodal disease or high-risk N01 disease using modern radiation techniques.
Internal Breast Cancer Radiation
Internal breast cancer radiation is also known as brachytherapy. You doctor will place a device that contains radioactive seeds in the area of the breast where the cancer was found. For a short time, internal radiation targets only the area where breast cancer is most likely to return. This causes fewer side effects. The treatment takes a week to complete.
If youve had breast-saving surgery, a doctor may treat you with both internal and external radiation to increase the boost of radiation. Doctors may only perform internal radiation as a form of accelerated partial breast radiation to speed up treatment.
Potential side effects of internal radiation include:
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What Are The Side Effects Of Radiation
Radiation therapy can have side effects, and these vary from person to person.
The most common side-effects are:
- Sunburn-type skin irritation of the targeted area
- Red, dry, tender, or itchy skin
- Breast heaviness
- Discoloration, redness, or a bruised appearance
- General fatigue
What should I do about side effects from breast cancer radiation?If you experience difficulty from side effects, you should discuss them with your doctor, who may be able to suggest ways you can treat side effects and help yourself feel more comfortable. These problems usually go away over a short period of time, but there may be a lasting change in the color of your skin.Here are some good general tips for dealing with the most common side effects of radiation:
Feasibility Of Breast Radiation Therapy Video Education Combined With Standard Radiation Therapy Education For Patients With Breast Cancer
Objectives: To determine the feasibility of incorporating a brief animated educational video shown during the radiation therapy consultation appointment for patients with breast cancer and to collect preliminary quality-of-life data.
Sample & Setting: 20 participants with breast cancer were recruited from an outpatient radiation oncology facility in the southeastern United States.
Methods & Variables: This single-arm, pre- and post-test feasibility study aimed to assess feasibility and preliminary outcomes of patient-reported anxiety, distress, and RT concerns.
Results: The video intervention demonstrated feasibility, as evidenced by meeting or exceeding benchmarks set for recruitment, retention, and feasibility measured scores. The difference in means of total patient-reported scores comparing pre- to postintervention decreased.
Implications for Nursing: The intervention proved feasible. In addition, the decrease in total mean scores suggests the video may have a positive effect on reducing patient distress, anxiety, and RT concerns.
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Keeping Health Insurance And Copies Of Your Medical Records
Even after treatment, its very important to keep health insurance. Tests and doctor visits cost a lot, and even though no one wants to think of their cancer coming back, this could happen.
At some point after your treatment, you might find yourself seeing a new doctor who doesnt know about your medical history. Its important to keep copies of your medical records to give your new doctor the details of your diagnosis and treatment. Learn more in Keeping Copies of Important Medical Records.
Is Radiation Therapy Safe
Some patients are concerned about the safety of radiation therapy. Radiation has been used successfully to treat patients for more than 100 years. In that time, many advances have been made to ensure that radiation therapy is safe and effective.
Before you begin receiving radiation therapy, your radiation oncology team will carefully tailor your plan to make sure that you receive safe and accurate treatment. Treatment will be carefully planned to focus on the cancer while avoiding healthy organs in the area. Throughout your treatment, members of your team check and re-check your plan. Special computers are also used to monitor and double-check the treatment machines to make sure that the proper treatment is given. If you undergo external beam radiation therapy, you will not be radioactive after treatment ends because the radiation does not stay in your body. However, if you undergo brachytherapy, tiny radioactive sources will be implanted inside your body, in the tumor or in the tissue surrounding the tumor, either temporarily or permanently. Your radiation oncologist will explain any special precautions that you or your family and friends may need to take.
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Before Each Treatment Session
The radiographers help you to get onto the treatment couch. You lie on a special board called a breast board. If you have had a shell made the radiographers will fix this in place. You might need to raise your arms over your head.
The radiographers line up the radiotherapy machine using the marks on your body or on the shell. Once you are in the right position, they leave the room.
It is important to continue the arm exercise you were shown after your surgery. This helps to stop your arm and shoulder from becoming stiff during your radiotherapy treatment.
When Does Someone With Breast Cancer Get Radiation Therapy
The timing for radiation therapy depends on several factors. The treatment may take place:
- After a lumpectomy: A lumpectomy removes the cancerous tumor, leaving most of the breast. Radiation therapy lowers your risk of cancer coming back in the remaining breast tissue or nearby lymph nodes as well as reduces your chance of passing away of breast cancer.
- After a mastectomy: Most people dont get radiation therapy after a mastectomy . Your provider may recommend radiation if the tumor was larger than 5 cm if theres cancer in surrounding lymph nodes, skin tissue or muscle or if all the cancer canât be removed .
- Before surgery: Rarely, healthcare providers use radiation to shrink a tumor before surgery.
- Instead of surgery: Sometimes, providers use radiation therapy to shrink a tumor that they cant surgically remove . A tumor may be unresectable due to its size or location. Or you may not be a candidate for surgery because of concerns about your health.
- To treat cancer spread: Stage 4 breast cancer is cancer that spreads to other parts of the body. Your provider may use radiation therapy to treat cancer that spreads to other parts of the body.
If you had surgery, radiation therapy typically starts about one month after the incision heals if chemotherapy is not received. Some individuals receive chemotherapy after surgery, followed by radiation therapy. You may get the two treatments at the same time.
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Reaction To The Breast Cancer Radiation Study
The researchers reported that delivering a high dose of radiation to the surgery site during the three weeks of whole breast irradiation therapy had similar outcomes to waiting until after the whole breast treatment to target the surgical site.
Adding a radiation boost reduces the likelihood of tumor recurrence in the breast by 20 to 30 percent, but delivering that boost after hypofractionated radiation therapy adds another week to treatment, said Vinci. This can be challenging for patients who need to take time off work or travel long distances for treatment.
Dr. Rachel Jimenez, an assistant professor of radiation oncology at Harvard Medical School and the chair for quality and safety in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital, told Healthline, I expect that the results of this study will be embraced by many of us who treat patients with breast cancer, as a shorter treatment schedule has a positive impact on equity in cancer care delivery and patient quality of life.
This study reveals a promising avenue to reduce the burden of treatment on patients by improving quality of life while achieving the same outcomes, Dr. Dorraya El-Ashry, the chief scientific officer at the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, told Healthline. While we need further validation to impact clinical care, we are constantly striving to help patients live fuller lives without sacrificing quality of care.
What Are The Physical Side Effects
Receiving the radiation will not be painful. Side effects vary from person to person and depend on the site being treated. The most common side effects in the treatment of breast cancer are:
- Uncomfortable sensations in the treated breast
Please talk to your doctor or nurse if you have concerns about side effects before you begin treatment or if you have questions about managing your side effects during treatment.
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Vitamins To Avoid During Radiation Therapy
Your radiation oncologist may tell you to avoid taking certain antioxidant vitamin supplements, such as vitamins C, A, D, and E, while you’re having radiation therapy. These vitamins might interfere with radiation’s ability to destroy cancer cells. This is because radiation works in part by creating free radicals highly energized molecules that damage cancer cells. Free radicals in the environment can damage all cells, but in the case of radiation treatment they are focused on the cancer cells. Antioxidants help keep free radicals from forming or neutralize them if they do form.
Because of the potential conflict between the goal of radiation therapy and the goal of antioxidants , it makes sense to stop taking any antioxidant supplements during radiation therapy. When radiation is finished, you can resume taking your supplements.
Throughout your treatment, do your best to eat a well-balanced diet that contains all of the vitamins you need. Vitamins that come naturally from food are unlikely to interfere with treatment.