Radiotherapy, which uses high energy x-rays to kill cancer cells, can reduce the likelihood of cancer returning when performed after surgery.
You may need time to complete chemotherapy, if you have it, before you’re ready for radiotherapy.
The most commonly treated area for breast cancer radiotherapy is the affected breast or the area from where the breast was removed. The lymph glands in the armpit and region above the collarbone are also sometimes treated.
Before you have radiotherapy, your radiologist will work out exactly where to point the x-rays beams and what dose to use so that cancer cells are destroyed with minimum damage to normal tissues.
Most sessions last just a few minutes and a typical course of radiotherapy for breast cancer is given five days a week for three to six weeks.
Side effects, generally, are mild. They may include skin reactions, tiredness and mood swings, or lymphoedema. Long-term side effects such as fibrosis - a slight hardening of the treated tissue are, again, usually mild. A few women experience other long-term side effects but these are rare.
You can learn more about the possible side effects of radiotherapy at the Breast Cancer Care website.
Radiotherapy is usually recommended for women who have undergone a lumpectomy or sometimes a mastectomy and to treat secondary breast cancer. It can be used before an operation too.
