Radiotherapy Radiotherapy is given to women with breast cancer for a number of reasons. In women who opt for breast conserving surgery , it is almost mandatory in order to treat the remainder of the breast. On the contrary, if a Level 3 axillary clearance has been performed, even if the nodes are positive, there is no need for axillary radiotherapy. Radiotherapy is also given to women who have had mastectomy but in whom it is felt that there is a high risk of local recurrence. For each individual patient the risk is individually assessed and a decision taken to reflect this.
Radiotherapy causes fibrosis and scarring of the tissues.
It also affects the ability of the skin to heal if subsequently wounded and to stretch - an important point to consider if reconstruction is planned. In the axilla, radiotherapy can damage lymphatics and cause oedema of the arm and breast, which can be very difficult to treat. For this reason, many surgeons and oncologists prefer to treat the axilla surgically, avoiding the need for axillary radiotherapy. TOP OF PAGE 4. Hormone Therapy Tamoxifen is the most well known of the hormonal therapies used in the treatment of breast cancer.