Hi,
I've recently been diagnose with Stage 2 Grade 3 Breast cancer and had a lumpectomy to have the tumour removed. I've now been advised to have both Radiotherapy & Chemotherapy despite having clear lymph nodes and clear margins.
Could someone explain in general why both Radiotherapy & Chemotherapy would be recommended?
Hi Infinite716744
Welcome to the Online Community here at Macmillan. I hope you find it a helpful place to access support and ask questions. My name is Vanessa, and I am one of the cancer information nurses here at the Macmillan Cancer Support Line.
Here at the Macmillan Support Line, we can give general advice and support. We are independent from the NHS and don’t have access to medical records so can’t give personalised information. I’m therefore unable to say specifically why chemotherapy and radiotherapy has been recommended for you.
In general, however, a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy are common treatment plans for people who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.
The treatments work very differently. Radiotherapy is known as targeted treatment as the high energy x-rays are targeted to the breast and surrounding area. The aim of radiotherapy is to destroy cancer cells in that area only.
Chemotherapy is known as a systemic treatment as it uses anti-cancer drugs to affect the cancer cell’s ability to divide and grow. Chemotherapy is normally given into a vein and therefore circulates in the blood stream with the aim of reaching any cancer cells in the body, wherever they may be.
A combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy aims to ensure that the cancer does not recur. Treatment after surgery is sometimes referred to as adjuvant treatment. You may hear this word used and it just means the chemotherapy and radiotherapy are being used after your surgery rather than before. Before surgery it is known as neo-adjuvant.
It may be helpful to know that we do have an online breast cancer forum that you may find helpful. Here you can discuss treatment and concerns with people in a similar situation.
I hope you find this information helpful. You can also always call one of our nurses directly if you want to talk over your concerns or require any further support.
Take care
Vanessa G, Cancer Information Nurse Specialist
You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email.
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