Guidance and support after a breast cancer diagnosis
Learn how Sharp Rees-Stealy breast cancer navigators explain next steps, arrange appointments and support patients through care.
For many patients with breast cancer, radiation therapy can be an important part of their treatment plan. Yet misconceptions about radiation persist, raising questions about whether treatment will hurt, what side effects someone might experience, and even whether radiation can make you radioactive.
For decades, radiation therapy has been used as a component of comprehensive breast cancer treatment. Over the years, advances in technology have refined how radiation therapy is planned and delivered, making treatment increasingly precise and safe.
“Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation to destroy cancer cells,” says Dr. Kelly DeWitt, board-certified radiation oncologist with Sharp Community Medical Group and affiliated with Sharp Grossmont Hospital. “Today, we can plan treatment very precisely, targeting the area at risk for recurrence while protecting the surrounding critical structures.”
Radiation therapy remains a safe and effective treatment option for many patients with breast cancer and can help reduce the risk of the cancer returning.
Still, questions and misconceptions about treatment remain. With that in mind, Dr. DeWitt addresses five common myths about breast cancer radiation therapy and explains what patients can really expect.
1
Can radiation therapy make a patient radioactive?
No — breast cancer is most commonly treated with external beam radiation therapy, which does not make you radioactive. Patients can safely be around family, friends and children after treatment. Although radiation is delivered to the body during treatment, it does not remain in the body afterward, much like having a chest X-ray or dental X-ray.
2
Is radiation therapy painful? Are the side effects manageable?
The radiation treatment itself is painless — you won’t feel the radiation as it is being delivered. Many people, however, may notice the treatment table or positioning. Over the course of treatment, some patients develop skin redness, warmth, dryness or mild tenderness similar to a sunburn. Fatigue is also common, but most side effects are manageable and temporary.
3
Will radiation therapy make me lose my hair?
Unlike chemotherapy, which can cause hair loss throughout the body, radiation causes hair loss only in the area directly receiving radiation. For breast cancer treatment, patients generally do not lose the hair on their head. If radiation includes part of the upper chest or nearby areas, patients may experience temporary hair loss in that region.
4
Does radiation therapy damage healthy tissue?
Radiation can affect some normal tissue near the treatment area, but modern radiation therapy is remarkably precise, allowing care providers to target the breast or chest wall while minimizing exposure to surrounding healthy tissue. Techniques, such as advanced treatment planning, image guidance and breath-holding, can help protect important organs such as the heart and lungs.
5
Will radiation therapy significantly disrupt a patient’s everyday life?
For most patients, breast radiation is an outpatient treatment that takes only a few minutes each day, and many people continue working, exercising and maintaining their usual routines during treatment. Depending on the individual situation and treatment approach, a radiation course may range from about one to six weeks, with shorter courses now being very common for appropriately selected patients.
Understanding what to expect can reduce the uncertainty of radiation therapy. If radiation is part of your breast cancer treatment plan, talk with your care team about any questions or concerns you have.
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