It is very common for people to confuse what radiotherapy is with chemotherapy, but the two are very different. Radiotherapy is a treatment applied locally and by radiation. Chemotherapy, on the other hand, passes through the patient's entire body and is most often administered intravenously.

Although it is a radioactive application, it is done in doses appropriate for the carcinoma and the patient, and is even invisible and painless. Finally, it is a treatment in which hospitalisation is not generally necessary and is commonly carried out in an outpatient clinic.

How does radiation act on the body?

The treatment concerns the irradiation of cancer cells. Beams of particles are placed on the skin in the area where the nodule is located. The radiation then passes through the skin until it is possible to reach the cancerous material and modify it. It is common for external radiotherapy of the mammary gland to be performed after conservative surgery.

Cases of infiltrating breast cancer

In cases of in situ - or 'in situ' - and infiltrating breast cancer, some doctors carry out surgery with adjuvant radiotherapy, in which the aim is to destroy the cancerous cells. This measure aims to prevent the return of the carcinoma.

Cases of radical mastectomy

Understanding better what radiotherapy is, we have, for example, cases in which it is necessary to remove the whole breast, which characterises an advanced case of breast tumour. This is one of the contexts in which the application of radiotherapy to the chest wall is indicated by the oncologist in charge.

It also has, like other radiotherapies, the objective of eliminating abnormal cells. However, this is not the only objective to be achieved in the patient's body.

When a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, attention should also be paid to lymph nodes, as nodules in the armpit area should always be considered. In a mammogram, lymph nodes that are not detectable by touch can be discovered and treated as soon as possible.

In these cases, radiotherapy acts on the lymph nodes, which is beneficial for the patient and brings the possibility of cure closer.

What is curative radiotherapy?

As the name says, it is the search for a cure through radiography. In this sense, when we talk about curing cancer, we are pointing to the elimination of all the cancerous cells in the patient's organism with radiotherapy.

Another purpose of this treatment is to control the evolution of the abnormal cells and also to cure or alleviate pain caused by the tumour.

Cases of joint application of chemotherapy and radiotherapy

In some cases, the oncologist will prescribe that the patient take chemotherapy drugs together with the radiotherapy.

Generally, this measure is taken in cases of more aggressive and invasive cancer, because both treatments, when applied together, make the cancer cells more fragile and easier to be destroyed.

What is metabolic radiotherapy?

Little known to the public, metabolic radiotherapy consists of intravenous or oral administration of drugs from a radioactive source, which are fixed to the cells in order to destroy them.

Unfortunately, "good" and "bad" cells are destroyed; however, it is necessary to inform you that the dose of the radioactive source is adapted from patient to patient, preserving as much as possible their physical integrity and the good state of their cellular system.  

Side effects

In general, the side effects disappear at the end of the treatment. As with chemotherapy, the reactions are different according to the cancer and metabolism of each patient. There are reports of fatigue, migraine, sexual dysfunction, skin disorders, inflammatory reaction and hair loss.

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