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.
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What type of radiation therapy are you recommending?
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Is full radiation the best option, or will partial breast irradiation (PBI) work as well?
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Should we consider internal radiation (also called brachytherapy, in which seeds of radiation are implanted directly into the tumor), either instead of or in addition to external radiation?
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Is radiation recommended for the breast area alone or for the lymph nodes as well?
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If PBI isn't an option, are you recommending standard radiation therapy or IMRT (intensity modulated radiation therapy)?
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If you aren't using IMRT, is it because you don't have it available or because you don't think it's necessary in this case?
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How much damage to the surrounding tissues will the radiation therapy cause?
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Will the radiation cause cosmetic damage to the skin?
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Is there a risk that the radiation will damage the lungs?
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If the tumor is in the left breast, do we need to worry about damage to the heart?
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Would using IMRT reduce the risk of damage to the lungs, heart, or surrounding skin tissue?
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Is the tumor in a location that can be affected by movement from breathing or digestion?
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If so, are you considering using techniques to control or compensate for movement during radiation?
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Do deodorant, lotion, and other products interfere with radiation therapy?
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If so, how long before treatment should these products be avoided?
