About Breast Cancer
Frequently Asked Questions
I was just diagnosed with breast cancer. Is mastectomy my only option?
There are 5 reasons to consider mastectomy…more than 1 cancer in the breast, being in the first or second trimester of a pregnancy, diffuse calcifications in the breast that can not be excised, and a genetic predisposition to breast cancer. Prior radiation may exclude a women from breast preservation unless she is a candidate for brachytherapy.
What is Breast Conserving Therapy?
Why do I need to go through radiation if the cancer has been removed?
Is Radiation Therapy Safe?
Treatment will be carefully planned to focus on the cancer while avoiding healthy organs in the area. Throughout your treatment, members of our team check and recheck your plan. Special computers are also used to monitor and double-check the treatment machines to make sure that the proper treatment is given.
If you undergo external beam radiation therapy, you will not be radioactive after treatment ends because the radiation does not stay in your body. However, if you undergo brachytherapy, tiny radioactive seeds will be implanted into your body either temporarily or permanently.
Your radiation oncologist will explain any special precautions that you or your family may need to take for a short time following treatment.
Is Brachytherapy effective?
Am I a candidate for Brachytherapy?
To be a candidate for breast brachytherapy, a patient must have:
- Invasive breast cancer or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) 3 cm or less in size.
- Node negative of no more than three positive lymph nodes of the axilla (armpit area). For patients with 3 or fewer positive nodes, we insist that the tumor has not penetrated the capsule of a lymph node (medical term: extranodal extension). We believe that patients with more than three nodes involved, or with extranodal extension, should consider comprehensive external beam radiation therapy to the breast and lymph node areas instead of brachytherapy.
- Clear surgical margins of at least 1 mm.
- Unicentric breast cancer (no other areas of the breast with cancer).
- A negative pregnancy test or no possibility of pregnancy.
- A time interval of no more than 6 weeks from lumpectomy or re-excision surgery, or breast ultrasound or CT evidence for a clear lumpectomy cavity edge for target volume definition.
For more information on Patient Eligibility, please click here.
Am I a candidate for Brachytherapy?
To be a candidate for breast brachytherapy, a patient must have:
- Invasive breast cancer or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) 3 cm or less in size.
- Node negative of no more than three positive lymph nodes of the axilla (armpit area). For patients with 3 or fewer positive nodes, we insist that the tumor has not penetrated the capsule of a lymph node (medical term: extranodal extension). We believe that patients with more than three nodes involved, or with extranodal extension, should consider comprehensive external beam radiation therapy to the breast and lymph node areas instead of brachytherapy.
- Clear surgical margins of at least 1 mm.
- Unicentric breast cancer (no other areas of the breast with cancer).
- A negative pregnancy test or no possibility of pregnancy.
- A time interval of no more than 6 weeks from lumpectomy or re-excision surgery, or breast ultrasound or CT evidence for a clear lumpectomy cavity edge for target volume definition.
For more information on Patient Eligibility, please click here.
How do I know if Brachytherapy is right for me?
What if my doctor doesn't recommend Brachytherapy?
Does Brachytherapy hurt?
Most patients have NO pain and NO bleeding with catheter insertion that follows the anesthetic injection. Patients are awake during the procedure, talking with our physicians and listening to music. Most are surprised when it is all over. The local anesthetic wears off in 6 hours and for any soreness or pain that persists, we provide pain medications and mild sleep aids. After one day, however, many patients do not require anything more than Tylenol for the pain.
What are the side effects?
You should be able to go back to work soon after your last treatment, as long as you don’t do any heavy lifting or strenuous work. Breasts will be tender for a few days especially in younger women who have more nerve endings.