Radiation Therapy is also known as partial - breast therapy or brachy therapy because it usually therapy after
lumpectomy surgery and/or regular treatment. It uses radioactive substance
that is closed by wires or needles and are placed near the breast cancer cell
(for first time treatment) or therapy were the cancer was (for therapy after
lumpectomy) There are two different methods of giving Internal Radiation: Multi-Catheter and Balloon-Catheter
Internal Radiation.
In Multi-Catheter Internal Radiation x- rays or
other tests are taken to determine exactly where the radiation will be given. A
member from the radiation team will place small tubes known as catheter that
are placed under the skin were the breast cancer was and sew the tubes in their
place. Small stitches hold the catheter and the end of the tube comes out from
small holes in the skin. That treatment option for breast cancer can be given
to you in high or low dose of radiation.
In high dose radiation treatment small pieces of
radioactive material are placed in the catheter by a machine or a person. The
radioactive seeds will slowly spread the radiation to the tissues around the
catheter. Usually each treatment will last about hour and you can leave the
therapy center and go home. You will get treated twice for about five days.
After the treatment is finished the catheters are removed from your body.
In low dose radiation the treatment stays for over
many hours and you need to stay in the hospital and nothing is removed, after
the treatment is done the radioactive seeds and catheters are removed.
The second method in internal therapy is Balloon –
Catheter. In this therapy a catheter, special tube, with a balloon attached at
the end of the catheter, filled with liquid so it can stay in place, and placed
where the lumpectomy surgery was done. A machine places the radioactive seeds
into the balloon for about 10 minutes ten they are removed. Usually treatment
is given twice a day for approximately 5 – days then you can go home.
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