Breast cancer remains the most common cancer in women, to date.
1% of breast cancers are male cancers.
Traditionally, it is revealed in two ways:
- Mammography screening
- Feeling a lump in the breast
Biopsies confirm the diagnosis and the extended assessment specifies the stage of the disease.
In any event, radiotherapy plays a fundamental role in treatment.
In the event of localised tumours, it is systematic for a partial mastectomy and helps avoid a total mastectomy. In the event of a total mastectomy, it will be indicated for recurrence risk factors.
Mammary radiotherapy can be delivered over 3 to 6 weeks (15 to 33 sessions) depending on the characteristics of your disease.
It should ideally begin within 8 weeks of the surgery but can be deferred after chemotherapy if necessary.
Side effects during radiation are most often limited to some mammary pain and erythema (redness) of the skin called epithelitis.
Nowadays, monitoring after breast cancer is long-term and it is therefore essential to have access to quality radiotherapy to limit the long-term consequences, and particularly cardiac toxicities.
New radiation techniques such as intensity-modulated conformal radiotherapy and respiratory-gated radiotherapy help to limit the dose to the heart. In any event, these effects will be discussed with your radiation oncologist during your first consultation.
In metastatic stages, the role of radiotherapy in the event of oligometastatic disease is becoming increasingly important. It can also be used in the event of bone metastasis or brain metastases to relieve pain or treat symptoms.
