Sikora K
Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital, London.
BMJ. 1994 Jan 15;308(6922):188-9. doi: 10.1136/bmj.308.6922.188.
The use of radiotherapy in treating breast cancer has meant that many women are able to avoid mastectomy, which is both physically and psychologically damaging. The side effects of radiotherapy, however, are given 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 injury and little help can be offered. In addition, many of the women did 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 will not damage the brachial plexus.
放射疗法用于治疗乳腺癌意味着许多女性能够避免进行乳房切除术，而乳房切除术对身体和心理都会造成损害。然而，放射疗法的副作用却很少受到关注。许多女性在接受乳腺癌放射治疗后出现了臂丛神经损伤，常常导致剧痛和手臂功能丧失。这种损伤没有有效的治疗方法，也几乎无法提供帮助。此外，许多女性并不需要对淋巴结区域进行放射治疗。一个压力团体已经成立，以支持这些女性，确立获得赔偿的权利，并确保给予未来患者的放射治疗方案不会损害臂丛神经。
