How is radiation therapy used to treat breast cancer?
Radiation therapy uses special x-rays to kill or harm cancer cells. There are two main ways radiation therapy may be used to treat breast cancer: – A special machine is used to point powerful x-rays at the cancer from outside the body. – Tiny pellets containing the radiation are put into the body where the cancer is. The radioactive pellets are placed directly into the breast tissue next to the cancer. Radiation hurts cancer cells, but it also hurts healthy cells. This can cause side effects such as muscle stiffness, mild swelling and tenderness, and a sunburn-like reaction on the skin where you received radiation. These side effects should go away as the normal, healthy cells recover. Radiation therapy may be used before surgery to shrink a tumor. It is also used after surgery or chemotherapy to destroy any cancer cells that could be left behind. A woman usually has treatment five days a week for about six weeks. Each treatment lasts a few minutes and doesn’t cause pain. How is chemot
