What is better radiotherapy or radiography?

How likely is it to get cancer from radiotherapy?

• My aunty had DCIS in her left breast, after lumpectomy, she needs to have six weeks of radiotherapy, but the doctor mentioned cancer as one of the several long-term side effects that might happen becasue of radiotherapy. Im just worried, how likely is it to get cancer from it? is radiotherapy really dangerous? will it shorten your life?

• Answer:

  Our radiation oncologist and breast oncologist will tell you exactly what the probability the chances are that you will get cancer from this treatment. As I recall it is less than 5% chance of that happening. The chance that it will prevent cancer from returning is much greater, so most people will use radiation as insurance that cancer will not return. What is important when fighting any cancer is to do whatever you can at the initial diagnosis to keep it from returning. Less than 5% is something we could live with.