Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy is recommended after breast cancer surgery for all patients who had a conservative procedure. After a mastectomy, radiotherapy is recommended if the tumor was large or had metastasized to the armpit. Radiotherapy may also be considered on a case-by-case basis for young patients who have had a mastectomy.

If chemotherapy is also recommended as post-operative treatment, the chemotherapy is completed first (about 5 months). Toward the end of the chemotherapy period, the treatment program includes an appointment with a radiation oncologist to determine the need for radiotherapy and its duration. The radiotherapy itself can be started about a month after the last chemotherapy treatment.

If surgery will not be followed by any drug therapy, or if hormone therapy will be the only drug therapy used, the initial appointment with a Department of Oncology physician takes place at the radiotherapy ward. In that case, the radiotherapy ward oncologist will start hormone therapy as well.

Treatment of a breast cancer patient at the radiotherapy ward.pdf

The importance of a healthy lifestyle after breast cancer surgery