Breast Cancer 101

A Guide to Breast Cancer by Susan G. Komen

CHAPTER 9

Radiation Therapy

CHAPTER 9

Radiation Therapy

Chapter Overview

Radiation Therapy discusses radiation treatment, a local therapy for breast cancer, most often used following surgery.

It discusses the procedure, who’s eligible for radiation therapy, variations in treatment regimens and side effects.

The following topics are discussed in this section:

  • Radiation Therapy
    • Goal of radiation therapy
    • Who benefits from radiation therapy
    • Treatment planning
    • Standard radiation treatment procedure
    • Hypofractionated whole-breast irradiation
    • Partial breast radiation therapy
    • Additional options
  • Side Effects of Radiation Therapy
    • Short-term side effects
    • Long-term side effects