Despite the fear that can be felt with the term radiotherapy, the truth is that it is one of the most effective treatments in the fight against breast cancer. Radiotherapy treatments reduce the risk of expansion of breast cancer. Also, radiation therapy is a treatment used to treat breast cancer at almost any stage.
80% of people with breast cancer, after surgery, use radiotherapy in their treatment. Drs. Elia del Cerro and Ana DíazGavela, head of the Radiotherapy Oncology Service at the Quirónsalud University Hospital in Madrid, talk about the evolution that radiotherapy has undergone in the last 2 decades. “Advances in the field of radiobiology have provided us with greater knowledge about the behavior of tumors and healthy organs when faced with radiation. The introduction of hypo-fractionated schemes and accelerated partial radiotherapy have allowed us to reduce treatments from the 25-30 classic sessions to 15 or even 5”, the specialists point out.
In a study on modulated intensity radiotherapy, presented at the Congress of the American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), it is highlighted that this technique allows real-time treatment control, verifying its efficacy. “The long-term oncological results are excellent with a low probability of acute and chronic side effects, thus confirming the efficacy and safety of this treatment protocol”, explain the specialists.
Postoperative radiotherapy treatments survival is higher than 95%
In recent years, advances in technology have generated a great change in the way of performing radiotherapy treatments. These advances have made it possible to reduce radiotherapy sessions in cancer patients.
The side effects related to radiotherapy will depend on the location of the tumor and the radiation doses that the patients have received. Regarding patient survival, in recent years, an increase in results has been observed. “Regarding the particular results for tumors located at diagnosis and treated with conservative surgery, in postoperative radiotherapy survival is greater than 95%”, the specialists emphasize.
