Health: Targeting Radiation

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The majority of breast-cancer patients have radiation therapy as part of their treatment. Lower doses have made it safer than it once was, but radiotherapy still puts healthy tissue at risk. Now a study reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute suggests that targeted radio-therapy can work just as well as whole-breast therapy in preventing cancer recurrences. The approach, called partial breast irradiation, treats only areas nearest to the tumor, minimizing exposure of healthy tissues to X rays. It can also mean a shorter treatment and recovery period. --By Lisa McLaughlin