Breast Cancer

Radiation therapy after lumpectomy

If you're under going an operation to remove the breast cancer and leave the un opera-table (remaining )breast tissue intact (lumpectomy or breast-conserving surgery), your surgical oncologist may recommend radiation after your surgery to kill all the cancer cells that might remained in the breast . Adding radiation after a lumpectomy reduces the risk of returning of cancer tissue in the affected breast.

Radiation therapy options After lumpectomy

1.Radiation to the entire breast. External beam radiation therapy one of the most common types of radiation therapy used to treat after a lumpectomy this therapy does the whole-breast irradiation to kill the cancer cells

2.Radiation to part of the breast. Partial-breast irradiation this technique directs internal or external radiation to the area around where the cancer was removed.

Radiation after mastectomy

Post mastectomy radiation therapy plays major part ,the radiation can kill any cancer cells that might remain and reduce the risk of recurrence in the remaining tissues of the chest wall or lymph nodes.
Lymph nodes with signs of breast cancer. Underarm (axillary) lymph nodes that test positive for cancer cells are an indication that some cancer cells have spread beyond the breast. 
Large tumor size. A breast cancer larger than about 5 centimeters generally carries a higher risk of recurrence than do smaller cancers.
Tissue margins with signs of breast cancer. After breast tissue is removed, the margins of the tissue are examined for signs of cancer cells. Some times very narrow margins or the margins test that positive for cancer cells are a risk factor for recurrence.
Radiation therapy for locally advanced breast cancer

Radiation therapy can also be used to treat:

I．Breast cancers that can't be removed with surgery.
II．Inflammatory breast cancer, an aggressive type of cancer that spreads to the lymph channels of the skin covering the breast. This type of cancer is typically treated with chemotherapy before a mastectomy, followed by radiation, to decrease the chance of recurrence.

Radiation for managing metastatic breast cancer

If your breast cancer has spread (metastasized) to other parts of your body, then radiation therapy will help to shrink the cancer tumor and helps to reduce the pain and other symptoms.