Breast cancer radiotherapy considerations

Diseases like breast cancer are actually quite frightening for female friends, because it is a relatively serious disease and can have direct harm to breast health. In the general treatment process of breast cancer patients, radiotherapy is relatively common. During radiotherapy for breast cancer, many things need to be paid attention to, such as not eating sauerkraut during radiotherapy and providing good psychological care.

1. Radiotherapy reaction: Do not eat pickled cabbage during breast radiotherapy

Gastrointestinal reactions, local skin reactions in the radiation field. Occasionally there are systemic reactions, such as a decrease in white blood cell count, general fatigue, etc.

2. Nursing

2.1 Psychological care

Most patients believe that cancer is incurable and show symptoms of depression, fear, and irritability. A few even give up treatment in despair. Some patients worry that their relatives and friends will look down on them after knowing their condition. Therefore, nursing staff should take the initiative to greet patients warmly, help them build confidence in overcoming the disease, and introduce them to the hospital's environment and its advanced radiotherapy equipment and technology. Since patients are unfamiliar with radiotherapy and have many questions, nursing staff should tell patients in advance what to pay attention to during radiotherapy. During radiotherapy, they should relax themselves, not be nervous, and move their bodies freely. Patients should be aware of possible adverse reactions during radiotherapy. Help patients eliminate tension and anxiety, encourage them to actively cooperate and successfully complete radiotherapy.

2.2 Diet care

Some patients will experience adverse reactions in the digestive system during radiotherapy, such as nausea, insensitivity to taste, and decreased appetite, which will affect their food intake, leading to nutritional deficiencies, decreased resistance, and impeding normal tissue repair. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the diet reasonably, avoid a single diet, and maintain a balanced nutrition. Avoid eating foods that are too cold, too hot, greasy, spicy, or other irritating foods. You should not eat too much or too fast. You should eat slowly and chew the food thoroughly to facilitate digestion and absorption, and avoid abdominal pain and bloating caused by eating quickly. At the same time, you should ensure that the body gets enough water.

2.3 Oral Care

Nursing staff should ensure that patients maintain oral hygiene, remove residual food in the mouth, rinse the mouth frequently after meals, and brush teeth 2 to 3 times a day. If you have oral ulcers, you should rinse your mouth several times a day with light salt water or anti-inflammatory mouthwash.

2.4 Skin Care

Proper skin care for patients can effectively prevent skin reactions. For breast cancer patients, the skin tissue at the radiotherapy site is thinner, and the skin elasticity of patients after surgery is poor, making them particularly prone to skin reactions. Before radiotherapy, nursing staff should assist patients in maintaining personal hygiene and wear clean, soft, loose cotton open-body underwear. Keep your bed clean, dry, soft and comfortable. Avoid friction and pressure on the skin in the radiotherapy area, avoid using highly irritating bath lotions, and do not bathe with overheated water. Do not apply chemical ointments or stick adhesive tapes on the irradiation field. If the skin becomes red, swollen, itchy or painful, advise the patient not to scratch it with their hands or apply medication randomly. Take medication as prescribed by the doctor to effectively control skin reactions and reduce the patient's pain and mental burden.

2.5 Regular inspection

Routine blood tests should be performed to observe changes in white blood cells. If a decrease in white blood cells indicates a decrease in the body's immunity and a risk of infection, radiotherapy should be suspended. In addition to drug treatment, patients should be placed in protective isolation, the wards should be ventilated and disinfected to keep the air fresh, patients should pay attention to rest, reduce going out and visits by relatives, and keep patients clean and hygienic.

2.6 Patients should also pay attention to rest and exercise, do functional exercises of the affected upper limb, maintain smooth blood circulation, put on clothes on the affected side first, and take off clothes on the healthy side first.

3. Discharge guidance

After being discharged from the hospital, the patient should keep a happy mood, stable emotions, pay attention to rest, avoid fatigue, pay attention to diet adjustment, exercise appropriately, protect the skin of the radiotherapy area, and go to the hospital for regular check-ups.

How long does radiation therapy for breast cancer last?

This question cannot be generalized. It depends on many factors, such as the patient's age, physical condition, mentality, pathological stage of lung cancer, whether there is metastasis, and the effectiveness of surgery.

What are the indications for postoperative radiotherapy for breast cancer?

(1) After simple mastectomy.

(2) Patients whose pathological report after radical surgery showed metastasis to the mid-axillary or supra-axillary lymph nodes.

(3) Patients with pathological confirmation after radical surgery that metastatic lymph nodes account for more than half of the total number of lymph nodes examined or more than 4 lymph nodes have metastases.

(4) Cases with pathologically confirmed intramammary lymph node metastasis.

(5) Radical surgery is performed for patients whose primary lesion is located in the center or inner side of the breast, especially those with axillary lymph node metastasis.