Out-of-field radiation organ dose measurements and associated secondary cancer risk estimation in patients treated with breast cancer in Lebanon

According to the National Cancer Registry in Lebanon for the years 2003 till 2007, more than 40 % of registered cancers in females have breast cancer. According to the latest report published by the NCR, breast cancer remained the most relatively frequent cancer throughout the years (42-43%). The annual incidence rate for breast cancer has been increasing from 72/100,000 in 2005, to 87/100,000 in 2007. According to the World Health Organization 2003 Report, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide in women under the age of 55 and more than one million women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. Breast cancer patients have different options of treatment depending on the age, type of cancer and other factors. These options include: Surgery, Chemotherapy, Hormonal Therapy, Radiation Therapy and other non-traditional therapies. In radiation therapy, our concern, the tumor in the Breast will be exposed to high-energy X-rays that destroy cancerous cells. It is often used as post-surgery therapy in an effort to kill any remaining undetectable cancer cells that may have invaded areas nearby the original site of the tumor