Radiation and Mepitel Film to prevent Burns?

Twiggyjumps said:

I've just started radiation treatment for over a week now. No film offered. I asked and the Dr said it was just trials. They don't have any.  They don't put anything else to protect the rest of my body or my head and I am concerned about any 'over spill' of radiation if that's possible?  
They do tell me to use only sorbelen on my back as well as breast and underarm. 

I'm doing neo adjuvant as when I had the sentinal node biopsy and found 1 out of 4 had 4cm size tumour so that was removed. Then on to Chemo :( The Dr wanted me to have full axillary clearance on right arm when I have nipple sparing mastectomy.  But changed her mind just before rads and said having the nodes radiated instead is just as good if not better than having them all surgically removed.  There is still a chance of lymphdema. So that's my news. Otherwise feeling ok xx

Hi there,

How long was your radiotherapy prescribed for?
I asked my radiotherapy oncologist about using the film but she told me they were useless and troublesome she has tried on some patients before. So I ended up not using any for the 3 weeks of treatment. Every one's treatment is different in terms of dosage. Radiotherapy was the treatment for me after surgery and chemo. Around the third week my skin looked barbecued but still fine. I had a friend who passed me fresh aloe vera leaves so each day I bought some to the hospital and applied in the cubicle while i was changing. I think they would help. I did not end up using the sorbelene.

Fortunately skin did not blister but the outermost layer peeled off and now my skin looks fine (3 months after last radio) but a section looks a little darker. The site actually can still feel tad sore and tight at times depending on my lying down position. And i still get some little zaps at times.

Are you saying one node had a 4cm tumour? That's quite big :( I am glad it is now removed and glad radiotherapy is taking good care of it. Do lots of gentle stretching to avoid cording and lymphdema. I still cannot stretch as much as the right but slowly getting there. I had only 3 nodes removed and it was already hard. But every one is different, some had axillary clearance and are fine but i had 3 and I was feeling miserable.

All the best. xx

I've just started radiation treatment for over a week now. No film offered. I asked and the Dr said it was just trials. They don't have any.  They don't put anything else to protect the rest of my body or my head and I am concerned about any 'over spill' of radiation if that's possible?  
They do tell me to use only sorbelen on my back as well as breast and underarm. 

I'm doing neo adjuvant as when I had the sentinal node biopsy and found 1 out of 4 had 4cm size tumour so that was removed. Then on to Chemo :( The Dr wanted me to have full axillary clearance on right arm when I have nipple sparing mastectomy.  But changed her mind just before rads and said having the nodes radiated instead is just as good if not better than having them all surgically removed.  There is still a chance of lymphdema. So that's my news. Otherwise feeling ok xx

Hi Ladies. Yes every person's skin is different. At Wollongong Hospital they have been using the Mepitel Film for over a year just on breast cancer radiotherapy patients with success. It was used in New Zealand for burns patients. I had a number of Mepitel film pieces placed over me before radiotherapy (with bolus). I tried to preserve the Mepitel film by having a hand towel in a plastic bag and placed over breast area (covered with Mepitel film) when showering. It does start to peel at edge where there is movement. The centre chest area became itchy and red and blistered after a week, so the film was removed from just the centre area. I used sorbolene in centre area as the film over the right implant breast and under the armpit was still secured after 2 weeks. I then stupidly removed the Mepitel film myself at home and it hurt. Nurses said I should have been in the shower to remove it as some skin cells would have peeled off when I removed it raw. Just wanted to see if underneath was burnt and to allow skin to remove. Big mistake. If you can handle the Mepitel film, just cut the frayed edges but keep it on as long as possible. The hospital will advise you on best creams and solution for your skin. For me, as I had no Mepitel film on for last 2 weeks of radiotherapy, I saw gradual burning over skin with blistering in centre. I used sorbolene and hydrocortisone creams and antihistamines and additionally pain medication - recently. I woke up the other day to my armpit being stuck to my arm and as I gently pulled my arm up, there was a layer of skin missed underneath just below the armpit (3cm x 2cm). Since finishing 25 zaps on Monday 10/4/17, I been daily been dressed by community nurse using saline, solvugel on a vaseline type mesh with 5 pads over, then taped then a large wadding and finally an elasticised stretchy dressing to hold everything in place and over my right should like a sling. It bled again in centre last night before bed, so I carefully moistened the dressing before taking it off as it had stuck to colagulated blood. I washed wound and put on creams and rolled up a large towel for under my arm so armpit was free from touching skin. Took 3 antihistamines before bed. Restless night and woke up to yellow sticky gunk on centre of chest and stains on bed sheets through to mattress protector. Ugg cleaning job. I had a lukewarm shower this morning and used a bath flannel to carefully dab off yellow gunk (looks like puss - sorry - bit yukky looking) from centre and sorbolene cream from under armpit.  Used my 93% cotton front opening wireless bra (so so comfortable from Lily Bliss To You) and a pillow under my car seat belt and drove to community centre to get new dressing on by community nurse. See today's photo. (not wearing bra during day and extremely loose top - especially under armpit). I know skin gets worse for up to 2 weeks then skin heals. So doing light household duties, resting when I can and taking pain medication as well as antihistamines. Hope this helps anyone. Rgds. Sharon

esco said:

Be aware that the viscose bamboo bras above are 75% nylon and 22% viscose from bamboo. The latter has recently been exposed as having been made with highly toxic chemicals that are really bad for workers' health. I thought these bras looked good, but having read up on viscose I would not consider using them against my skin, especially after radiation. Once bamboo is made into viscose, it does not have trhe health-promoting properties of bamboo. See: http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/3251919.htm and numerous other reports about the viscose industry.

:s

Hi Ladies
Mepital film was offered to me in a public hospital in South Australia RAH. I tried it for the first 2 weeks of radiotherapy but Adelaide was going through a heat wave at the time and at night I couldn't stand it on my skin as i was so hot from climate and radio.. I also found that it kept rolling, the nursing staff were a bit hesitant as their nursing protocol states that sorbolene creme was the preferred treatment, however it was not explained well at the start of my treatment and I was so confused and thought it was another sort of treatment. The staff weren't confident applying it either,  only one nurse I came across was good at putting it on. I wish Id had a different experience as i still have to have surgery and reconstruction it would have helped my skin be a bit nicer!!
Karen :)

Hi @au0re, I have had 17 out of 25 sessions so far. I did private chemo too but public for radiation. I think you can be out of pocket quite a lot for private radio. I go to Lifehouse in Sydney, my app is 7.45 & I am out by 8.00, free parking too. I am not using the film, just a mild steroid cream & sorbolene given by the radiation oncologist. My skin is very good so far with only the tiniest irritation in one spot & I have very fair skin. They usually take x rays once a week to make sure there is no swelling, this just adds a few minutes extra. The bolus is used to target the therapy. They use it in two places for me.  Everybody reacts differently so I would just see how you go, don't worry too much, a lot of people don't have any problems. 

Sharon Leigh said:

Photo of products I used as mentioned in above comment. 

I plan on getting aloe vera leaves from a friend when I do my radiotherapy. I am not comfy putting anything that has any chemicals or preservatives in them. Even the aloe Vera gels sold online everywhere would have 1-3% chemicals/preservatives in them. A friend brings cut leaves with her and she applied after each treatment in the change room. xxx

Sharon Leigh said:

Useful radiatherapy bras I bought via TV advertising - no underwire. Pockets with inserts provided - comfortable and you get 3 bras for $29.95 plus $7.99 p&h. Nude, white and black front opening. Purchase Miracle Bamboo bra by calling 1800 997 997 or (03) 8657 5591. 

You are such a gem for sharing xxx

Sharon Leigh said:

Just a tip from yesterday's radiotherapy session using bolus. The Radiation Therapists put cling film "Glad Wrap" on the sticky side of the bolus so that it didn't grab onto Mepitel Film on my right breast. They then put masking tape firmly over bolus and my sides to hold it down before being zapped. Afterwards when the bolus was taken off, it did not peel off the Mepitel Film. Voila! 

What is a bolus and what is it for? Why do some patients need it and why do some not? Haha suddenly I am reading all these new stuff/terms I never heard of besides the word radiotherapy. xxx

Sharon Leigh said:

Just a tip from yesterday's radiotherapy session using bolus. The Radiation Therapists put cling film "Glad Wrap" on the sticky side of the bolus so that it didn't grab onto Mepitel Film on my right breast. They then put masking tape firmly over bolus and my sides to hold it down before being zapped. Afterwards when the bolus was taken off, it did not peel off the Mepitel Film. Voila! 

Sharon Leigh said:

@Pammy46 - so sorry to hear this. You can purchase Mepitel Film in Australia. It was originally used in New Zealand for burns patients. Wollongong Hospital have only been using it for past year on breast cancer radiotherapy patients only - with success. I have the Mepitel Film changed or just some bits replaced every Monday as it peels off on the outer edges through wear and tear and friction with clothes. The main film has remained for past 10 days. It was a bit itchy on the weekend - as the edges rubbed against my skin, so the hospital told me to just cut off the peeled edges. It gave my skin a "breather". The RT told me yesterday the most vulnerable area is the centre of chest above breast as well as under the arm pit where bras and clothes rub. 
So here it the link for your hospital to consider using it or purchase it yourself perhaps? http://store.independenceaustralia.com/search/go?lbc=independenceaus&method=and&p=Q&ts=custom&uid=708654721&w=Mepitel&cnt=300

Sorry to be so ignorant but how is this used? Does it stay on your skin all the time? Where exactly do we stick it, on whole mastectomy site? How often do we change it? With this film used, does that mean no cream (eg sorbelene/aloe Vera) can be used even when film is removed? xxx