ENRAGED ABOUT RADIOTHERAPY

The use of radiotherapy in treating breast cancer has meant that many women are able to avoid mastectomy, which is both physically and psych ologically damaging. The side effects of radiotherapy, however, are gi ven little attention. Many women have developed brachial plexus injury after radiotherapy for breast cancer, often resulting in severe pain and loss of use of the arm. There is no effective treatment for this i njury and little help can be offered. In addition, many of the women d id not require radiotherapy of nodal areas. A pressure group has been formed to support these women, to establish the right to compensation, and to ensure that radiotherapy regimens given to future patients wil l not damage the brachial plexus.