A study published last week in Clinical Breast Cancer reveals a possible alternative to traditional radiation therapy for breast cancer patients.
Radiation therapy typically involves radiation of the entire breast, a treatment that could potentially have side effects if the heart and lungs are exposed to radiation. Researchers, hoping to avoid such side effects, used a proton beam to partially irradiate patients' breasts, allowing them to deliver a stronger dose of radiation to a more specific area.
This partial irradiation may have lower risks than traditional radiation therapy and allowed for a shorter period of treatment: two weeks instead of the usual seven. The women who participated in the study reported nearly no side effects.
Via The Checkup
