Why radiotherapy after chemo for breast cancer?

[Tansie]

My friend is half way through her chemo (once every 2 weeks, x 5). Her tumour was caught quite early, 2 lymph nodes involved, now all removed. She doesn't know why they're doing a single treatment of RT at all, at the end (of her chest wall, 'to mop any stray cells up') if the chemo's already doing that.

Anyone know?

It was explained to me that the combination of chemo and radio is more effective than chemo on it's own. My oncologist showed me the figures and the graphs, but that was 14 months ago and I can't recall them now. But, it was significant enough that I agreed to the entire adjuvant therapy package.

The chemo treats your whole body and aims to kill any cancer that may have spread outside the breast-it goes right through your bloodstream and reaches every extremity. The rads are for any cells which may be in the breast tissue itself rather than in the blood stream. If they are absolutely certain that the cancer is contained then they can treat with just surgery and rads. With any lymph involvement or a really aggressive cancer then it makes sense to go for the triple whammy!

Ah, OK, I see- though I would've thought any stray ca. cells in the breast, being bathed in the blood supply like everything else in the body, would be knocked out by the chemo.

I hasten to add, she's having all three but was curious to know more about he reasons behind the RT.

It is a precaution as already said, and for cancer everything possible is done to kill it completely.

Radiotherapy is almost always given if there has been breast conservation surgery ie WLE or lumpectomy. It's not needed if you have a Mastectomy unless the tumour was very large, or there were a number of lymph nodes involved.