Why Do I Need Radiation After Chemotherapy?

My radiation oncologist told me to think of it as the clean up crew. It is used to catch any stray cells that made it through.

Understanding why both chemotherapy and radiation are recommended can feel overwhelming, especially when dealing with high Oncotype scores. Chemotherapy works throughout the body to target cancer cells that may have spread, while radiation provides focused treatment to the specific area where the original tumor was located to reduce the risk of local recurrence. Many others in this community have navigated similar treatment plans and found it helpful to discuss these questions directly with their oncology team to better understand how each treatment plays a different but important role in their care plan.