Women with breast cancer who undergo radiation therapy may have fears about the treatment, but their actual experiences are better than expected, according to research published February 26 in Cancer.
A team led by Dr. Susan McCloskey of the University of California, Los Angeles surveyed 502 patients who were treated for breast cancer between 2012 and 2016. Among the 327 patients who responded to the survey, 83% underwent breast conservation therapy (that is, lumpectomy and radiation therapy).
Most survey participants (68%) had little to no knowledge about radiation therapy, and 47% reported that they had heard frightening stories about it. However, 83% said that short-term side effects such as breast pain, work limitations, and family disruptions were less than or as expected; 84% of patients also said this about long-term side effects.
In fact, 93% of breast conservation patients and 81% of mastectomy patients agreed with the following statement: "If future patients knew the real truth about radiation therapy, they would be less scared about treatment," the researchers wrote.
"The word 'radiation' itself sounds frightening and is associated with many negative news stories, but the implications of this study are that, in actuality, radiation therapy for breast cancer is a much better treatment experience than perceived," McCloskey said in a statement released by the journal. "We hope these real-world data from the voices of past patients can give future patients a better understanding of modern breast radiation therapy when making treatment decisions."
