A breast cancer patient's psychological health is a concern after diagnosis, but an article published in The Lancet Oncology reports on a patient's quality of life post-radiotherapy, not just diagnosis. The study reveals how radiotherapy treatment given in hypofractionated doses (a lower overall dose in fewer higher doses ) benefited the patient's quality of life.
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, after lung cancer and 1 out of 8 American women who live to be 85 years old will develop breast cancer. Furthermore, a report released today studied how financial hardship in the first nine months after diagnosis increases depression and anxiety.
Radiotherapy initially extends beyond a woman's mental health because it affects the body physically, greatly decreasing a woman's quality of life and self-image. Of the 2,208 women in the study, 40 percent claimed moderate or significant concerns for body-image following five years of radiotherapy treatment. Patients feeling less attractive and dissatisfied with their physical body-image totaled at 23 percent. Breast hardness ranked at 41 percent, along with overall breast appearance at 39 percent.
Authors state "These ratings by patients…strengthen evidence in favour of hypofractionated regimens, [with the potential for] reduced adverse normal breast tissue effects reported…[and] have important implications for radiotherapy practice."
Radiotherapy, or Radiation Therapy, is a highly effective way to destroy cancerous cells post-surgery. The high energy beams target specific cancer cells by destroying their DNA, thus inhibiting their ability to divide and spread. This type of breast cancer treatment has shown to reduce the risk of reoccurrence by 70 percent.
Internal and external symptoms of radiotherapy include skin color changes and irritation, armpit discomfort, fatigue, heart problems, chest pain and lung problems. Many of the side effects of radiation therapy are apparently misconceptions and overdramatized by main stream society. (Breastcancer.org) The study notes on the issue as well "A substantial proportion of women report moderate or marked breast, arm, and shoulder symptoms over 5 years of follow-up after radiotherapy, but with no detriment to body image. " The conclusion of the study states breast cancer patients can benefit from hypofractionated radiotherapy regimens without suffering from worsened reactions.
Written by Amy Munday
Huliq.com
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