Medically Reviewed by Virginia L. Clyburn-Ipock, MD

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time to highlight the progress being made in the fight against breast cancer and the innovations improving patients’ lives. In that spirit, Dr. Virginia Clyburn-Ipock, a Radiation Oncologist and Medical Director of Radiation Oncology for the McLeod Centers for Cancer Treatment and Research, explains how radiation therapy continues to evolve as a cornerstone of breast cancer care.

Radiation and Breast Cancer Treatment

According to Dr. Clyburn-Ipock, most women diagnosed with breast cancer today are candidates for a lumpectomy, a breast-conserving surgery that removes the cancer while preserving the breast. “In general, 70 to 80 percent of women who have a lumpectomy will require radiation afterward,” she explains. “Radiation is typically omitted only in elderly women with very early-stage cancers that are sensitive to estrogen.”

Radiation therapy plays a vital role in ensuring that any remaining microscopic cancer cells are destroyed, reducing the risk of recurrence.

How Radiation Works

Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-ray beams to target cancer cells at their most vulnerable point — their DNA. Cancer cells are different from the other cells in our body because they divide much more rapidly, explains Dr. Clyburn-Ipock. “The high energy X-ray beams can elicit DNA damage in the cancer cells. Thus, when that cell goes to divide again, it will die.”

By focusing treatment precisely on the tumor site, radiation minimizes harm to surrounding healthy tissue while effectively halting cancer cell growth.

Technological Advances in Radiation Therapy

Radiation oncology has made significant strides in recent years, improving both effectiveness and patient experience. One key area of progress involves the personalization of treatment based on a woman’s genetic profile. Ongoing research looks at how specific genes influence the development of breast cancer, Dr. Clyburn-Ipock notes. “Based on the genetic profile of women, we can determine, for example, who may benefit from chemotherapy and who we can safely omit chemotherapy in regards to radiation.”

Advances in radiation delivery have also made treatment faster, safer, and more convenient. Where patients once required five to six weeks of daily treatments, some now complete radiation therapy in as little as one to four weeks. “We’ve really come a long way in making radiation less toxic and more convenient for women,” she adds.

Treating Metastatic Breast Cancer

Even when breast cancer spreads to other parts of the body, radiation can still play a critical role in care. For example, when cancer spreads to the brain, radiation therapy is often the primary treatment option. “Many chemotherapy and biologic and immunotherapy agents that are commonly used to treat metastatic breast cancer do not penetrate the brain. So therefore, they’re not as effective at treating brain metastasis as radiation is,” Dr. Clyburn-Ipock explains.

A Team Approach at McLeod Health

At McLeod, breast cancer care is deeply collaborative and patient-centered. Each woman’s case is reviewed by a multidisciplinary tumor board, bringing together specialists from surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology, radiology, pathology, and nursing.

“We meet weekly to discuss every woman’s diagnosis and determine the best individualized treatment plan,” says Dr. Clyburn-Ipock. “This team approach ensures that every patient benefits from the collective expertise of our entire cancer care team.”

For decades, McLeod Health has been a trusted leader in cancer treatment throughout the region. With a focus on advanced technology, collaborative care, and compassion for every patient, McLeod continues to provide hope and healing for women facing breast cancer.