What to Expect — Radiation - Black TNBC Sanctuary

What is Radiation?

Radiation therapy, or radiotherapy, uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells.

Who gets Radiation?

Most individuals diagnosed with TNBC have Radiationtherapy in their treatment plan.

Radiation may be used after surgery for stages 1-3 triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Because the radiation kills cancer cells left after surgery in the area where the breast cancer was found, it can help protect you from a local recurrence (cancer coming back in the same place).

In some cases, radiation therapy may be used with stage 4 TNBC, including to decrease pain or bleeding, lower the risk of broken bones in areas that may be weakened by cancer, open a blocked airway to improve breathing, or relieve pressure on a pinched nerve that may be causing pain, numbness, or weakness.

How is Radiation administered?

The main types of Radiation therapy are:

External beam radiation therapy (EBRT): This is the most common form of radiation therapy and involves the use of a machine outside the body that focuses radiation on the area impacted by cancer. EBRT is typically given after a surgery site has healed—which may take a month or longer—and is usually delayed until after chemotherapy treatment is done.
Brachytherapy: Also called internal radiation. With this type of radiation, a device with radioactive seeds or pellets is placed into the breast tissue where the cancer had been removed.

Questions to ask your doctor about Radiation

Why do I need this treatment?
How often do I need treatment and how long will each treatment take?
Are there any integrative therapies that may help with the side effects?
Will I be able to work immediately after treatment?
Will I be able to drive myself home after treatment?
Is there childcare available for me during my treatment?
Are there options for alternative doses if I don’t tolerate this treatment well?
What lotion can I use around my treatment?

Sanctuary Tips

Be gentle with yourself and with your skin—use only gentle, sensitive skin products to wash and clean your skin.
Your skin will be vulnerable to sunburn—use SPF to protect it.
You may start to feel fatigue during your treatment. Listen to your body and rest when you need to.
Cold packs or a frozen bag of peas can feel good on your skin after treatment.

What are the potential side effects of radiation therapy?

Treating triple negative breast cancer is incredibly important. It also comes with some side effects. We know that reading a list of potential side effects can be scary and stressful—just because something is on this list doesn’t mean you will definitely experience it. But if we’re being honest, you will likely face something on this list. We’ve faced them ourselves. And we want you to be prepared to tackle it equipped with resources and support. We’re here for you.

You can learn more about recognizing, managing, and minimizing these side effects in our resources section.

Swelling or pain in the breast
Redness or bruising
Changes to breast size and appearance
Nerve damage that can lead to numbness, pain, and weakness
Lymphedema
Fatigue
Skin changes to the treated area that are similar to sunburn
Infection
Damage to fatty tissue in the breast
Weakness and fracture of the ribs, in rare cases
Seroma
Development of another cancer called angiosarcoma, but this is a very rare complication