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Breast Cancer In Situ: Managing Your Medical Care: Diagnosis To Treatment Decision

If Radiation Is Recommended.

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Radiation is the use of high-energy rays to damage cancer cells. It is a local treatment like surgery that only affects cancer cells in the treated area.  

Cancer cells are vulnerable to radiation, because the energy disrupts cellular growth. Unlike healthy cells, cancer cells cannot repair themselves. Once they are damaged by the radiation, they will be killed off.

External beam radiation therapy is the type of radiation used with breast cancer.  Protocols vary from 3 to 6 weeks. 

If radiation is used after breast cancer surgery, it is generally delayed for about 4 weeks to permit the site to heal.

Potential side effects which occur during treatment are: fatigue, swelling, heaviness in the breast, skin redness, tenderness in the breast and (if radiation is administered to the armpit area) lymphedema (swelling of the arm.) 

To learn more about radiation, and for information on how to minimize the side effects, see the documents in To Learn More.


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