Toronto/IBNS: Radiation treatments are not necessary for older women with early, low-risk breast cancer, according to new research.

Breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer in Canada with one in eight women likely diagnosed with the disease in their lifetime.

Women with early stage, low-risk breast cancer will typically have surgery, followed by several weeks of radiation and then a few years of hormone therapy, to ensure the cancer doesn’t come back.

However, a new study published in The New England Journal of Medicine reassures that patients who meet certain criteria might be able to skip the radiation part of the treatment.

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)