Forum Discussion
Radiotherapy burns
Hi everyone. I’m new here & wondering if someone has gone through something similar. I was diagnosed with grade 1 breast cancer & had a lumpectomy in June 2024. I finished 15 sessions of radiotherapy ...
Hi @frankie, So sorry to see you join our select little 'club' - the one that no-one ever thought they'd have to join. :( Feel free to fill us in on your diagnosis, surgery & treatments so far, so we have a fuller picture of what you've been thru so far. xx It can also become a bit of a 'diary' too, to look back on later. ;)
That's a shame about the burns near your armpit - but that area would be one of the most delicate skin areas, as it is rarely exposed to natural sun, whereas arms, legs, face & chest (if wearing bikinis) would get some regular exposure. Great that you are having them dressed by the nurses.
When I had my radiation back in 2018 (4 weeks, plus boosters) I was lucky to only get a little bit of skin breakdown in the final couple of sessions .... I was advised to use calendula cream, aloe vera and a cream called BOZ for at least another 6 weeks, as the radiation effects 'continue to work thru' (the skin will feel 'warm' for about this long too) - until the redness and spots go down. The Boz (often used for nappy rash too, and has magnesium in it, which helps healing) is quite thick & using the chux cloth between your skin & clothes (as mentioned by @MrsMorrisey) is what I did too. I think (from memory) I also made the cloth 'damp' over the BOZ so it stayed in place better.
A friend who had severe skin eruptions from a different medical condition - also (at the nurse's recommendation) put a thin damp layer of cotton wool over the cream before putting on the glad wrap - as it was 'mimicking' the skin (which has a layer of fat between the actual raw flesh and skin ...)
Back then, the 'Hippy' Pharmacist at the Hospital Pharmacy reckoned straight up Olive Oil was just as good - so I gave that a go as well - it was 'ok'!! She used to make up a Cold Cream from Rose Water, Bees Wax and Olive Oil that worked really well on radiation burns, but she had to stop making it as all the hospitals had to be able to provide the same 'stuff' and not all were 'compounding chemists'! ...... I found a 'recipe' for that cream below:
https://marsbalms.wordpress.com/2014/10/09/how-to-make-galens-cold-cream/
Silver Dressings are also VERY good for healing broken skin.
https://www.medsurg.com.au/_products/DRESSINGS+++WOUND+CARE/Silver+Dressings-2480.aspx
Take care & all the best xx
That's a shame about the burns near your armpit - but that area would be one of the most delicate skin areas, as it is rarely exposed to natural sun, whereas arms, legs, face & chest (if wearing bikinis) would get some regular exposure. Great that you are having them dressed by the nurses.
When I had my radiation back in 2018 (4 weeks, plus boosters) I was lucky to only get a little bit of skin breakdown in the final couple of sessions .... I was advised to use calendula cream, aloe vera and a cream called BOZ for at least another 6 weeks, as the radiation effects 'continue to work thru' (the skin will feel 'warm' for about this long too) - until the redness and spots go down. The Boz (often used for nappy rash too, and has magnesium in it, which helps healing) is quite thick & using the chux cloth between your skin & clothes (as mentioned by @MrsMorrisey) is what I did too. I think (from memory) I also made the cloth 'damp' over the BOZ so it stayed in place better.
A friend who had severe skin eruptions from a different medical condition - also (at the nurse's recommendation) put a thin damp layer of cotton wool over the cream before putting on the glad wrap - as it was 'mimicking' the skin (which has a layer of fat between the actual raw flesh and skin ...)
Back then, the 'Hippy' Pharmacist at the Hospital Pharmacy reckoned straight up Olive Oil was just as good - so I gave that a go as well - it was 'ok'!! She used to make up a Cold Cream from Rose Water, Bees Wax and Olive Oil that worked really well on radiation burns, but she had to stop making it as all the hospitals had to be able to provide the same 'stuff' and not all were 'compounding chemists'! ...... I found a 'recipe' for that cream below:
https://marsbalms.wordpress.com/2014/10/09/how-to-make-galens-cold-cream/
Silver Dressings are also VERY good for healing broken skin.
https://www.medsurg.com.au/_products/DRESSINGS+++WOUND+CARE/Silver+Dressings-2480.aspx
Take care & all the best xx