Radiation Treatment for Breast Cancer

Appointments

Radiation Treatment for Breast Cancer

Appointments

Overview

Our Approach

Appointments

What is external beam radiation therapy?

Do I need Radiation Therapy?

For more information

Locations

Physicians

External radiation therapy is often prescribed after breast-conserving therapy or mastectomy (once the area has a chance to heal) to kill any cancer cells that may still be in the breast, chest wall or surrounding lymph nodes.

When it comes to planning and delivering radiation treatments, clinical judgment is very important. The U-M Health Radiation Oncology Program is staffed by a well-trained and qualified team of expert physicians, nurses with oncology training, radiation therapists, medical physicists and other specialists. It is very rare for patients with cancer to just get radiation treatment. In the case of breast cancer, our team is part of the Weiser Family Center for Breast Cancer. Weekly peer review meetings are held to discuss new patients and patients whose treatment has changed.

If you're already a Weiser Family Center for Breast Cancer patient, please discuss radiation therapy as part of your care plan. To contact your doctor or make an appointment, please call 734-647-8902.

If you're a patient who has received breast cancer care elsewhere and are now interested in receiving radiation therapy at U-M Health, please call 734-936-4320.

Healthcare providers looking to refer a patient, please contact M-LINE: 800-962-3555.

For those with questions, please contact our Cancer AnswerLine at 800-865-1125.

What is external beam radiation therapy for cancer?

Radiation treatment uses high-energy rays or radioactive material to kill cancer cells or to keep them from growing. In external beam treatment, a beam of radiation from a machine is aimed at an area of the body. This treatment is usually given 5 days a week, over the course of a few weeks. There may be other treatment schedules. For example, some schedules have treatments 2 times a day. How long your treatment lasts depends on the type of cancer you have.

One common form of external beam treatment is conformal therapy. This uses a precise amount of radiation that is carefully targeted at a tumor. This limits radiation exposure to healthy tissue. The treatment itself is painless.

External beam radiation treatment can cause some side effects. It can make the skin near the treated area sore. The skin may turn red or dark, like a burn. The treatment can cause fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Areas inside your body can get sore. For instance, your throat may hurt if the radiation is aimed there. And you may feel very tired for 4 to 6 weeks after your last treatment. Talk to your doctor about ways to treat the side effects.

Most side effects usually go away within a few weeks after treatment ends. Some side effects last longer or may not show up until much later. And in some cases, a side effect may be permanent.

Do I need Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer?

Research has shown that radiation to the remaining breast or chest wall tissue reduces the chances of recurrence in that area (called "local recurrence") by 50-75% of whatever the initial risk would have been. These same trials also showed a 25-30% reduction of systemic metastases and even longer survival in those patients who received radiation. There are some cases where the lymph nodes in the axilla also receive radiation.

For women undergoing radiation therapy, treatment has been classically given over approximately 4-5 weeks, followed by a "boost" to the specific site of the primary cancer or mastectomy scar for approximately 1-2 more weeks, for a total of 6 weeks of radiation therapy. More recently, based on data from clinical trials, we have been using shorter courses of treatment of 3-4 weeks for certain patients treated with breast conserving surgery.

Can I get more information?

If you still have questions and are a patient at the Weiser Family Center for Breast Cancer, please consult with your doctor. You can also learn more about Radiation Therapy at U-M Health online.