| Radiation therapy is a simple, painless, and generally | | | | the course of treatment progresses. Faint pinkness |
| well-tolerated tool for treating and even curing breast | | | | of the skin, brisk redness, sun burnt sensation, |
| cancer. One of the most common side effects of | | | | dryness, itching, peeling, darkening like a suntan, |
| radiation therapy to the breast (after a lumpectomy) | | | | blistering, and moist oozing can occur.When the |
| or to the chest wall (after a mastectomy) is skin | | | | reaction is severe, such as a brisk redness that |
| irritation. The reaction and its extent differ for every | | | | evolves into blistering and moist weeping of the skin, |
| woman. Because radiation therapy is often such an | | | | women receive a treatment break, usually lasting a |
| important part of breast cancer treatment, it is | | | | week or two. This rest is usually sufficient to alleviate |
| important to know how to mitigate its side effects in | | | | the worst symptoms. When necessary, doctors can |
| order to gain the greatest benefit from the | | | | prescribe therapeutic creams. Radiation can be |
| therapy.Coping with Skin IrritationRadiation-induced | | | | resumed once the reaction resolves.Treating the |
| skin reactions are more likely to occur in people who | | | | ReactionDuring radiation therapy, women can avoid |
| received chemotherapy shortly before or during | | | | chafing the irradiated skin by going braless or by |
| radiation therapy and in women who have a | | | | wearing a cotton sports bra without an underwire |
| prominent fold under the crease of the breast. In | | | | that fits well below the crease of the breast or the |
| fact, this area and the underarm are the most | | | | irradiated skin of the chest wall. Women who can go |
| common areas of the breast to sustain a skin | | | | braless altogether, should. If that is not a comfortable |
| reaction. Most skin reactions resolve within a few | | | | solution, women should wear a bra as infrequently as |
| weeks of completing radiation therapy.Skin reactions | | | | possible to reduce the likelihood and/or the degree of |
| are almost inevitable for women receiving radiation to | | | | a skin reaction. Also, aerating the irradiated skin helps |
| the chest wall after a mastectomy. As a result, many | | | | minimize skin reactions.Over-the-counter moisturizing |
| radiation oncology facilities give such women a | | | | creams without alcohol and fragrance can reduce the |
| one-week prophylactic break halfway through the | | | | extent of a skin reaction. Often, radiation oncology |
| course of treatment, to reduce the severity of skin | | | | teams prescribe these creams at the beginning of |
| reactions.The severity of a skin reaction varies from | | | | radiation therapy.Women should also try to be kind |
| person to person. It can become more noticeable as | | | | to the irradiated skin, which can be easily inflamed. |