“When is radiation therapy considered over chemotherapy?”
My grandmother has breast cancer, and for her treatment, her and her doctors decided to have her on radiation therapy rather than chemotherapy. When is radiation therapy considered over chemotherapy for cancer treatment?
4 Answers
Dr. Joshua N. Halpern
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation therapy is more effective locally and for locally advanced breast cancer it is indicated and useful. It is not a substitute to chemotherapy and other "systemic" treatments, as radiation is not effective outside the treatment field.
When patient has lumpectomy for early breast cancer less than 2 cm and the tumor is positive hormone receptors or ductal carcinoma in situ(DCIS)
Radiation & chemo plus surgery are all considered for anyone with breast cancer or other cancers. National or international clinical trials test & confirm what is the best treatment for an individual based on the extent of the disease, age, medical status, & insurance status.
First and foremost, thank you for asking a question. I would start by rephrasing the question. This should not be a question of radiation versus chemotherapy. They serve different purposes. When is it appropriate to use radiation? And when is it it appropriate to do chemotherapy? And when do we use both.
The role of radiation is to eliminate microscopic deposits of leftover cancer cells remaining in the breast to prevent local recurrence. The role of chemotherapy is to prevent cancer cells that may have already spread beyond the breast to other parts of the body from taking root and growing. Rule of thumb, most women who have a lumpectomy will be recommended to have radiotherapy. Many of those women will be recommended to have chemotherapy based on a. Number of factors including tumor size, lymph nodes, and receptor status.
The role of radiation is to eliminate microscopic deposits of leftover cancer cells remaining in the breast to prevent local recurrence. The role of chemotherapy is to prevent cancer cells that may have already spread beyond the breast to other parts of the body from taking root and growing. Rule of thumb, most women who have a lumpectomy will be recommended to have radiotherapy. Many of those women will be recommended to have chemotherapy based on a. Number of factors including tumor size, lymph nodes, and receptor status.
