Breast Program
- Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in Australian women.
- Every day, more than 30 Australian women are diagnosed with breast cancer.
- One in 10 women will develop breast cancer by the time they reach 74 years of age
All of our Genesis Cancer Care centres are actively involved in breast cancer research and hold joint clinics where complex cases are discussed by the surgeons and the radiation and medical oncologists involved in planning a patient's care, together with the pathologist and radiologists reporting on the cases. Support care via breast nurses and counsellors is also available.
The role of radiation therapy in breast cancer
Radiation oncology has a vital role in the management of breast cancer.
It is used:
- in conjunction with surgery (either lumpectomy –- removal of the tumour itself -or mastectomy –- removal of the breast, including the tumour)
- instead of surgery, in some cases of cancer
- in advanced cases of cancer for symptom control (palliation)
- where treatment is individualised for the patient based on the surgery undertaken, and the pathology and staging test results. Sometimes only the breast requires radiation; sometimes both the breast and any affected lymph nodes are treated. Your doctor is the best person to advise you on what needs to be done, how effective the therapy should be, and how treatment will affect you.
What should you expect from treatment?
Typically, breast radiation therapy is given over a period of 5-7 weeks, assuming you have had a lumpectomy or mastectomy. Following your simulation and planning appointment, in which we can get an image of the tumour and plan the area to be targeted, your radiation treatment will usually be given daily by a machine called a linear accelerator. Treatment usually takes only a few minutes each day from Monday to Friday.
What side effects can you expect?
Most people tolerate their radiotherapy with very little ill effect. You may feel a little tired, and your breast area may become a little tender and hypersensitive with some swelling. You might find that the underlying chest muscle and ribs are tender or ache. On rare occasions, some people develop an inflammatory allergic reaction in the underlying lung. Your medical team can advise you about any side effects you may experience.
Brachytherapy for breast cancer
On occasions, brachytherapy may be used to treat some breast cancers. This involves implanting catheters into the cancer site to give a burst of high-dose radiation to a very localised area. Some trials are under way to assess the use of partial breast radiation using brachytherapy and other techniques. This is called Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation (APBI). Both St Vincent's and the Mater centres offer this advanced technique, however, this is still a very new technique so it is usually reserved for highly selected cases.
How to make a referral?
A referral can be made to one of the Breast tumour program members directly or via phone/ email through our Contact Us page.
For more information on Breast Cancer and community support click on the link below:
If you have breast cancer, try not to worry. The cure rates for women with breast cancer have shown improvements in recent years. This is due partly to earlier diagnosis from awareness and breast screening, and partly due to improvements in breast cancer treatment - better radiation and indications for its use, better surgery and staging procedures (in which doctors assess the extent of the tumour), and better hormones and chemotherapy.
Please feel free to read the attached clinical brief below outlining improved access for rural breast cancer patients: