Radiotherapy can cause your skin to become red and inflamed during treatment. The following information aims to help you understand what skin reactions you can expect during radiotherapy and how you can limit these reactions.
The nursing and radiotherapy staff at the treatment centre will talk to you about ways you can look after your skin to reduce the damage from radiation and to make yourself more comfortable. Let the radiotherapy or nursing staff know if you develop a skin reaction or if your skin reaction worsens.
What could happen to my skin during radiotherapy for breast cancer?
Your skin on and around the treated area could become red and dry. These skin changes look and feel like sunburn. This can begin as early as the second week of treatment, and usually improves a few weeks after stopping treatment.
Some women have very little skin reaction. Other women might develop severe reactions that involve itching, peeling or blistering of the skin.
Things that can make skin reactions worse
There are some things that can make the skin reactions more severe. These include:
- having chemotherapy before or at the same time as radiotherapy
- being overweight
- having other health problems such as diabetes
- having sun damaged skin
- smoking.
Talk to your radiation oncologist about your risk of developing a skin reaction.
How should I care for my skin during radiotherapy?
There is evidence that the following activities can help to reduce the severity of skin reactions:
- wash with a mild soap or cleansing agent
- moisturise with a light moisturising cream – ask your doctor or nursing staff about which moisturisers they recommend.
Based on experience of other women receiving radiotherapy for breast cancer, and doctors’ and nurses’ observations, you are also advised to:
- wear sun protective clothes or use sun screen over the treatment area when in the sun
- avoid irritants: it’s important to protect the skin in the treatment area from damage from abrasion, chemicals (such as perfumes, deodorants, hair dyes) and extremes of temperature during your course of radiotherapy
- keep skin folds dry.
Most women find they are able to exercise, including swimming in either the sea or chlorinated pools, without making the skin reaction worse.
What can I do to relieve symptoms?
If your skin becomes red and dry, itchy or develops blisters, your treatment team can recommend creams and dressings to help reduce your symptoms and make you more comfortable.
What should I do if my skin doesn’t get better?
Sometimes skin reactions get worse after the end of radiotherapy treatment. If your skin is not healed within about two weeks of completing radiotherapy treatment, contact your radiation oncologist.
What can I expect after treatment?
- Your skin may appear darker than usual (like a suntan). This will usually fade with time.
- Your skin might stay dry for a few weeks after treatment finishes. The skin might also peel. To reduce dryness, continue to apply a recommended moisturising cream to the skin for a few weeks after treatment.
- If you have naturally dark skin, the skin around the nipple and areolar might become very dark with treatment. You might have black spots in your sweat glands and hair follicles. This will usually fade with time.
- If your have fair skin, the skin of the nipple and areolar area might be paler in the months and years after radiotherapy.
When any symptoms have settled down you can go back to your normal skin care routine. However, it is suggested that you always protect the treated area from exposure to the sun.
