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New Weapons Aid the Fight Against Breast Cancer

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(NewsUSA) - Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. This year, 213,000 women and 1,700 men will learn they have the disease. If caught early, breast cancer can be readily treated and often cured.

Years ago, the only treatment for breast cancer was surgical removal of the entire breast, a procedure called a mastectomy. Now, doctors can allow most women with early-stage cancer to keep their breasts by performing a lumpectomy (surgical removal of the tumor) and following up with radiation therapy and sometimes chemotherapy. Studies have shown that breast-conserving surgery plus radiation therapy is just as good as a mastectomy and may be preferred by many women.

After a lumpectomy, most patients will undergo external beam radiation therapy, which involves a series of daily outpatient treatments to accurately deliver radiation to the entire breast. Each treatment lasts less than 30 minutes; treatments are given five days a week for five to seven weeks.

In a few parts of the country, doctors are testing ways to deliver radiation to only the part of the breast where the tumor was removed. Breast brachytherapy involves placing flexible plastic catheters or a balloon into the breast. Over the course of five days, the catheters or balloons are connected to a machine that briefly delivers high doses of radiation to the affected area of the breast.

Radiation oncologists also are testing ways to deliver external beam radiation to only part of the breast or to give radiation during surgery.

These new treatments are still being studied and are not recommended for everyone. Talk to your radiation oncologist for more information or to see how you can take part in a clinical trial studying these techniques.

Patients often experience little or no side effects from radiation therapy and are able to continue normal routines. Possible side effects can include skin irritation, similar to a sunburn, breast swelling and fatigue.

Before undergoing any treatment for breast cancer, talk with several cancer specialists, including a radiation oncologist, to find out what treatments are available for you. For a free brochure on breast cancer, visit http://www.rtanswers.org or call 800-962-7876.