Breast cancer radiation therapy is used after breast conservation surgery to stop the growth of any cancerous cells.  Generally breast cancer radiation therapy is used for five days each week for five to seven weeks in a row.  Smaller doses are needed on a daily basis in order to preserve the health cells in the area being irradiated.  If a larger dose was used at one time there could be irreparable damage done to the area being targeted.  There are few side effects associated with radiation therapy.  Many patients experience general fatigue after therapy sessions. The main side effect of radiation therapy is a feeling of fatigue.  In addition, many patients report that the breast being treated shrinks slightly after the therapy. 

There are two new forms of radiation therapy that are being used to treat breast cancer.  They are three dimensional conformal radiation and IMRT (intensity modulated radiation therapy).  These two forms of radiation can change the shape as well as the intensity of the radiation beams.  This allows for greater control of the radiation treatment and the end result is that the specific area is treated with less damage being done to healthy cells. 

Statistically, women who receive breast cancer radiation therapy after surgery can reduce their chance of recurrent cancer in the same breast by two thirds according to the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.  While there is concern that radiation therapy may lead to heart disease the current studies are inconclusive.  Many women that develop heart disease do so 12 to 15 years after the radiation therapy.  It is unknown whether the women in the study developed the heart disease as a side effect of radiation therapy or if they would have developed it regardless of the therapy.   In addition, the occurrence of heart disease depending on whether the right or left breast was irradiated was also inconclusive.  The incidence of heart disease was almost identical regardless of which breast was treated.

Brachytherapy is also referred to as internal radiation or interstitial radiation therapy.  Currently the use of radiotherapy cancer treatments are being used in clinical trials to treat breast cancer patients.  The use of intra-operative radiation therapy is being used to treat early stage breast cancer in patients over the age of 60.  If these clinical trials are effective they will provide an alternative to traditional breast cancer radiation therapy with fewer side effects.  

The good news for patients with breast cancer is that the treatment options are becoming more effective as technology evolves.  If the clinical trials are successful, it is possible that future patients will be able to have intra-operative radiotherapy and eliminate the five to seven weeks of breast cancer radiation therapy and the associated fatigue.