Short-course radiation treatment (usually as 25 Gy delivered in five daily fractions over 5 days) has been the subject of multiple randomised controlled trials (RCTs), either compared with long-course chemoradiation, or with surgery alone (with or without adjuvant chemotherapy).
The course of treatment usually lasts between 1 and 7 weeks. The individual radiotherapy doses are often called "fractions". However, the term "attendances" may be used to indicate how many hospitals visits will be needed during treatment.
If you are having radiation therapy with the aim of making the cancer go away, you may have treatment for 5–7 weeks. Usually treatment is once a day, Monday to Friday, but sometimes it's given twice a day. Your doctor will tell you how many treatments you will have.
Most patients get radiation treatments daily, 5 days a week (Monday through Friday) for 5 to 8 weeks. Weekend rest breaks allow time for normal cells to recover.
Short-course radiation therapy uses 1 week of radiation without chemotherapy (5 Gy × 5) followed by surgery the next week. In contrast, standard chemoradiation uses 45–50.4 Gy in 25–28 fractions with concurrent 5-FU chemotherapy followed by 4–8 weeks of rest before surgery.
A course of chemotherapy usually takes between 3 to 6 months, although it can be more or less than that. The treatment will include one or more chemotherapy drugs. You may have the chemotherapy into a vein (intravenous drugs), or as tablets or capsules.
Chemo cycles are most often 2 or 3 weeks long. The schedule varies depending on the drugs used. For example, with some drugs, chemo is given only on the first day of the cycle. With others, it is given one day a week for a few weeks or every other week.
While conventional radiation therapy delivers small amounts of radiation to a patient over nine weeks, hypofractionated radiotherapy delivers larger doses, or fractions, of radiation often in about five weeks and sometimes in just a few days.
Breast Cancer: 3 Weeks of Radiation May Be Just as Effective as 6 Weeks in Early Stages. Researchers say three weeks of radiation treatment is just as effective as six weeks for people with early-stage breast cancer.
Using many small doses (fractions) for daily radiation, rather than a few large doses, helps to protect the healthy cells in the treatment area. The break from treatment on weekends allows the normal cells to recover.
Side effects depend on where the radiation is aimed. Some side effects might show up quickly, but others might not show up until 1 to 2 years after treatment.
Just one week of radiation therapy after surgery for early-stage breast cancer is as safe and effective as longer courses, researchers report. Radiation therapy for early-stage breast cancer once stretched out over many weeks; the current international standard involves higher doses spaced out over three weeks.
Don't wear tight clothing over the treatment area. It's important not to rub, scrub or scratch any sensitive spots. Also avoid putting anything that is very hot or very cold—such as heating pads or ice packs—on your treated skin.
In some people, radiotherapy can make your skin sore, change colour (it might become red, lighter or darker than your normal skin tone), or dry and itchy. Sometimes it can blister and peel. This tends to start 1 to 2 weeks after treatment begins. Tell your care team if you notice any soreness or changes to your skin.
Most side effects generally go away within a few weeks to 2 months of finishing treatment. But some side effects may continue after treatment is over because it takes time for healthy cells to recover from the effects of radiation therapy. Late side effects can happen months or years after treatment.
Keep a distance away from others in your household. For example, you might be told to keep one arm's length, or maybe six feet, between yourself and others for a specific length of time. You might also be told to sleep in a separate bed in a separate room for a specific number of nights.
The size and location of the tumor. The type of cancer. The goal of therapy. A patient's overall health and medical history.
Missed Radiation Therapy Sessions Increase Risk of Cancer Recurrence. Patients who miss radiation therapy sessions during cancer treatment have an increased risk of their disease returning, even if they eventually complete their course of radiation treatment, according to a new study.
Time spent in the treatment room may vary depending on the type of radiation, but it generally ranges from 10 to 40 minutes. Most patients are treated on an outpatient basis, and many can continue with normal daily activities.
Radiotherapy is usually given in hospital. You can usually go home soon after external radiotherapy, but you may need to stay in hospital for a few days if you have implants or radioisotope therapy. Most people have several treatment sessions, which are typically spread over the course of a few weeks.
Most people have daily treatment from Monday to Friday, with a rest at weekends. But this can vary. For example, you might have treatment once a week for a set number of weeks. It is also sometimes possible to have more than one treatment per day.
Medicare covers chemotherapy if you have cancer. Part A covers inpatient hospital stays, care in a skilled nursing facility, hospice care, and some home health care. covers it if you're a hospital inpatient. Part B covers certain doctors' services, outpatient care, medical supplies, and preventive services.
In the treatment called chemo-radiation, you will get both chemotherapy and radiation at the same time. Chemotherapy weakens the cancer cells which helps radiation to work better. Your treatment team consists of your medical oncologist and your radiation oncologist.
Chemotherapy and radiation therapy can cause skin irritation, itchiness, dryness, redness and swelling. These treatments can also cause your skin to change color or darken. Radiation therapy may cause skin sores that you need to monitor for infection.