After Surgery for Inflammatory Breast Cancer: Radiation Therapy

After mastectomy, you likely will have radiation therapy, which targets any cancer cells that may be left behind in the area. The timing and dose of your radiation therapy will depend on how well the cancer responded to chemotherapy and possibly Herceptin (chemical name: trastuzumab). During surgery, your surgeon will have a better idea of how well the cancer responded to those treatments. Whatever your situation, radiation therapy generally is recommended after surgery for inflammatory breast cancer.

Areas targeted by radiation therapy may include the breast and/or chest wall, the entire chest, or the collarbone and underarm areas where lymph nodes are found.

Please visit the Radiation Therapy section for more detailed information about this treatment and its side effects.