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Radiation Treatment for Breast Cancer
If you are seeking radiation treatment for breast cancer in the Puget Sound area, Sound Cancer Care is here to support you. We specialize in radiation oncology, offering high-quality care to guide you through this important phase of your treatment. Our experienced radiation oncologists, along with our compassionate and dedicated staff, are committed to providing personalized care with both expertise and empathy. We are here to ensure you receive the best possible support and treatment tailored to your needs.
Types of Radiation Treatments for Breast Cancer
Radiation therapy for breast cancer is designed to destroy cancer cells, targeting both the tumor site and any potential areas where the cancer may have spread. At Sound Cancer Care, we are dedicated to staying at the cutting edge of radiation technology. Our advanced techniques allow us to deliver radiation with precision, minimizing damage to healthy tissue and reducing side effects. Since breast cancer treatments are not one-size-fits-all, here is an overview of the treatment options we provide.
How Does Radiation Treatment for Breast Cancer Work?
Radiation treatment uses high-energy rays to target and kill cancer cells. Radiation focuses on a specific area, making it a precise and effective option for treating breast cancer, and it can be used in conjunction with surgery or chemotherapy. At Sound Cancer Care, our advanced technology ensures that radiation is delivered with effectiveness foremost, minimizing damage to healthy tissues and reducing side effects.
This common and highly effective treatment is often used after breast cancer surgery to eliminate any remaining cancer cells, reducing the risk of recurrence.
If you need radiation treatment for breast cancer because surgery is not an option for you radiation therapy is a powerful tool in the fight against cancer.
At Sound Cancer Care, we believe in a personalized approach to treatment. Every patient is unique, and so is their cancer treatment. We are committed to providing not just top-notch medical care but also the support you need throughout your cancer journey. Our team of specialists, including radiation oncologists, therapists, and support staff, will be with you every step of the way, from diagnosis to treatment and recovery.
Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)
IMRT is the most widely used radiation treatment for breast cancer today. It delivers radiation with precision, allowing adjustments to match the shape of the affected area, thereby reducing harm to nearby healthy tissue.
While this treatment is highly precise, side effects such as fatigue and mild skin irritation, similar to a sunburn, may still occur. Our team will support and guide you through any side effects that may arise during the treatment process.
Breast Cancer Brachytherapy
Sound Cancer Care utilizes every method of radiation breast cancer treatment to ensure you have the best possible outcome. Brachytherapy for breast cancer is a type of internal radiation therapy used to treat breast cancer, typically after a lumpectomy. This technique involves placing a small, temporary radiation source directly inside or near the tumor site, delivering targeted radiation while minimizing exposure to surrounding healthy tissue.
3D-Conformal Radiation Therapy (3D-CRT)
This has been the preferred treatment technique for many decades. 3D-CRT is an advanced radiation treatment technique used to precisely target tumors while minimizing exposure to surrounding healthy tissue. Similar to IMRT, this method utilizes detailed imaging scans to create a three-dimensional map of the tumor, allowing radiation beams to be shaped and directed from multiple angles.
Although IMRT has largely replaced 3D-CRT in many cases due to its ability to better protect healthy tissue and minimize side effects, there are still situations where 3D-CRT remains the more suitable treatment option.
Brachytherapy After a Lumpectomy
SAVI® Breast Brachytherapy
Breast brachytherapy is an innovative and modern procedure that delivers radiation from inside the breast using a device placed through a surgical incision. This allows radiation to only be delivered to the tissue immediately surrounding the tumor cavity, sparing healthy tissue and reducing treatment time from 6 to 7 weeks to just 5 days or less.
The SAVI breast brachytherapy is a good treatment option for patients who have had a lumpectomy. The applicator is implanted into the lumpectomy cavity usually in an office-based procedure after surgery. The applicator’s unique design enables your radiation oncologist to precisely target radiation where it is needed while minimizing exposure to healthy tissue.
SAVI Brachy uses thin tubes (catheters) to deliver radiation directly to the lumpectomy site. The catheters gently expand to fit the size and shape of the tumor cavity. A tiny radiation seed travels through each catheter to deliver a precise dose of radiation, customized for the exact size, shape or location of your tumor cavity.
Once the catheter is in place, your treatments will be delivered twice a day for five days or less. The ends of the catheters are connected to a computerized delivery system that painlessly delivers a tiny radioactive seed into each tube. The radiation source is completely removed after each treatment – no radiation remains in your body between treatments.