Radiation Burn

I am in my 4th week of 7 for radiation therapy. I have already gone through Chemo. Radiation should be a piece of cake compared to the tiredness I felt with chemo. I was very fortunate with chemo. Anyway, I have big breasts and have some very bad peeling and burning under my breast. The skins is hideous looking. My Radiation Oncologist has seen it and seems very concerned, but is this normal? I have a permanantly purple breast and side from the Gentian Violet. Today he gave me a script for Silver Sulfadiazine. Is this going to help at all? What can I do? I am losing big pieces of skin.

[katarina777]

Hi there, let me start out by saying that what you are experiencing is totally normal, and which is not to mean that everyone has the same degree of burning.
Seven week though does seem like a very long time.

When I had radiation and I also had it after chemo, it was initially a piece of cake. And then towards the end, I am not sure, maybe around the 20 th treatment, it became as you describe, and the very worst was after I finished radiation. (for about a week)

Yet, it is so amazing what happens then, right after what you are going through. This beautiful new skin starts growing underneath all the burning and it's quite magical, and before you know it, the burnt layer is shed and the new one is there, and it happens so fast.

let me see about saying something useful. I had the wet, or moist type of burning and peeling and the slin would literally stick to my t-shirts or whatever I was wearing and then when I took my clothes off, the slin would rip off along with the shirt and it really hurt. I ended up taking off my clothes in the shower for that reason.

At this point I could not tolerate any creams whatsoever but i heard what your doctor gave you is supposed to be great. (I never used it)

I also needed for a while to take percocet for the pain and you should get a prescription for a narcotic painkiller as well in case you need it and just to have if it gets too bad, of course I never wore a bra.

You may want to try to take little pillows, like those that are longer rather than wide, with a cotton cover or something cotton-like around it and place them under your  breasts to keep away that skin to skin. contact. Even like a sheet  wrapped around and under your breast and also under your armpit if this is a problem.

My radiation nurse recommended keeping frozen peas in the freezer, and wrapping them in a cotton towel or something and then placing them on my skin. (not directly but with a cover) That may also work well for you to place under your breast. (I had a mastectomy so there was no breast but since I had a bunch of radiation to the axillary area, this was a similar challenge with trying to avoid the skin on skin thing as that is the biggest challenge)

I know it looks absolutely hideous but you will see how incredible nature works it;s way through this.

The one thing that really helped and which was not exactly recommended was using powder in those areas, (it is supposed to be free of zinc oxide, but  I was very careful not to have any traces of anything left before the sessions itself and which is the problem with zinc oxide and it interacting with the radiation itself)

I was told not to shower more than once a day but i did and felt good. then exposure to air as much as possible and anything and everything that was not pure cotton irritated my skin even if it was like a sweater over a cotton shirt. I would definitely try the peas or pillows especially when you can get away with it and are sitting or lying down.

And, you must get strong pain meds for a while. it wil get worse before it will get better.

I am still not sure why you are having 7 weeks of radiation. That would be  35 treatments but with the holidays, no, that does seem right actually, i think i had about 25?

last, and I know I am blabbling, I want to say this again. When you think it cannot get any worse, like on the last day, it will get worse, and then when you think it will never get any better, then it does and your skin recovers so fast and you can watch it in slow motion. i was so incredibly impressed. A huge slin piece will come off or partially off and then you wake up and a big piece of new skin has grown where the mess was before and that part/place will then no longer hurt.

Talked enough?  Best wishes, and yes, you can do it. KAT  (not edited0

[T1963]

Thanks so much for the boost Katarina! :D I agree it does seem like an awfully long time. It is 36 treatments total actually. I stumbled in to see one of the nurses on a Sat. at the other Oncologist' office and he happened to be in. He did give me a script of Percocets. I am not much for taking meds, but you know, every once in a while you just have to..lol. Anyway, I found what you said very helpful and encouragin. Thank you so much. Have a great New Year!