Radiation therapy can be used after breast-conserving surgery to help lower the chance the cancer will come back in the same breast or nearby lymph nodes. It can also be used after a mastectomy, especially if the cancer was larger than about 2 inches, if cancer is found in many lymph nodes, or if certain surgical margins have cancer cells. It is also used when breast cancer has spread to other parts of the body such as the bones, spinal cord, or brain.

Our patient-focused treatment planning and implementation is truly a team process, involving Board-certified radiation oncologists, physicists, dosimetrists, radiation therapists, and nurses. We develop treatment programs tailored for every patient’s unique situation, while providing hope, understanding, and emotional support.

A typical single radiation therapy session takes 10 to 15 minutes. Stereotactic body radiation therapy sessions can be between 30 minutes and an hour long.

A course of IMRT or 3D-CRT is typically five days a week—Monday through Friday—for 5 to 9 weeks, depending on your tumor type and location. When radiation therapy is used for palliative care, the course of treatment is shorter, along the lines of 2 to 3 weeks. Stereotactic body radiation therapy delivers a higher dose of radiation and is given in one to five sessions over 1 to 10 days.

Radiation therapy doesn’t have to impact your life. We work to accommodate your schedule so you can continue with your daily activities. And we’re here to support you each step of the way. Here’s what your radiation therapy treatment journey at RCK will look like.