Radiotherapy
Radiation therapy typically follows surgery and chemotherapy. It involves controlled exposure to high-energy x-rays to kill the remaining cancer cells in the breasts. This treatment usually begins about a month after surgery or chemotherapy.
Therapy sessions usually take place three to five days a week for three to five weeks. [5] Each session lasts only a few minutes. This type of radiation therapy is called external-beam radiation therapy. Other invasive types like brachytherapy and intra-operative radiation therapy are not as widely used.
Breast-conserving surgery followed by radiation therapy is as effective as a total mastectomy in treating early-stage breast cancer.