15 Questions to Ask About Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer

There have been so many advances in radiation therapy in the past few years that choosing a therapeutic approach is not as simple as it used to be. Here are some questions that you or your parent will want to ask her oncologist when deciding on a plan of treatment.

• Is there a risk that the radiation will damage the lungs?
• If the tumor is in the left breast, do we need to worry about damage to the heart?
• Would using IMRT reduce the risk of damage to the lungs, heart, or surrounding skin tissue?
• Is the tumor in a location that can be affected by movement from breathing or digestion?
• If so, are you considering using techniques to control or compensate for movement during radiation?
• Do deodorant, lotion, and other products interfere with radiation therapy?
• If so, how long before treatment should these products be avoided?
• Will the radiation cause cosmetic damage to the skin?
• Is there a risk that the radiation will damage the lungs?
• If the tumor is in the left breast, do we need to worry about damage to the heart?
• Would using IMRT reduce the risk of damage to the lungs, heart, or surrounding skin tissue?
• Is the tumor in a location that can be affected by movement from breathing or digestion?
• If so, are you considering using techniques to control or compensate for movement during radiation?
• Do deodorant, lotion, and other products interfere with radiation therapy?
• If so, how long before treatment should these products be avoided?