Topic: Skin Cream during radiation

I am 41 years old and to date - a breast cancer survivor! I have two children, ages five and twenty months, a great husband of six years and....recently had a lumpectomy and radiation therapy at Massachusetts General Hospital for my left breast.  The two parts of that sentence should never be together and I am still in shock writing it, let alone saying it - well, c'est la vie.  Life must go on and so I must tell you all about the fantastic cream that I discovered in Hungary last summer and used to stop the crazy itchyness and burning red bumps developing on my chest after each radiation treatment.  My team of radiation oncologists, nurses and radiation therapists at Mass General commented daily on how well my skin held up.

The cream cools and protects the skin remarkably well.  It is made in Hungary by a team of dermatologists, chemists and cosmetologists and formulated specifically to contain non-toxic chemicals, no fragrance, anti-oxidants, nor animal products such as mineral oil and petroleum that can cause cancer.  It contains a unique blend of calendula, honey, avocado oil, and rose petal extract amongst a number of other all-natural ingredients that protect against burns, heal the skin and prevent scarring. As yet, I have not found a cream that has this combination of ingredients that is so specific to the needs of a person going through radiation therapy.

If you are undergoing radiation or would like to try it during chemotherapy (which can also be very drying to the skin), please let me know if you want a free sample.  I would love to know if you enjoy the same benefits that I did (a tan!).

Hi Darah,

Are NatureWorks and Boiron or the calendula cream always available at Wholefoods?  I have only seen the calendula cream there.  And also, do you think there is adequate skincare on the market that is formulated specifically for people coping with the side affects of chemo and rads?

Theresa

Hi Theresa,

I am interested in trying the cream from Hungary.  I just started radiation on Wed (3 treatments to date) and am already feeling some heat and my nipple is very tender.  I am only using aloe vera.

Please share how I can get ahold of this cream!

Thanks so much,

Therese

Hi Therese,

I just read your other posts and was wondering what your treatment plan is.  Are you having radiation with a lumpectomy or chemo as well?  I am 41, also with 2 kids, 23 mos. and 5 yrs. old and finished up radiation in Feb.  Today, I feel great and am completely changing my diet and running 30 min/day.  Don't be scared, this is just a bump in the road.

Theresa

Hi Lucky,

To protect and prepare my skin, I was told to moisturize 2 weeks prior to the start of my radiation which included 23 treatments and 10 boosts at Mass General, Boston.  A list of creams were given to me that included Aquaphor as the "best" for this purpose and Aveeno after that.  Well, not being one to follow directions closely, I only started using creams about 1 week into treatment and Aquaphor and Aloe Vera did nothing to soothe extremely itchy, red raised bumps (I burned around 2-3 weeks into it).  However, the hungarian cream that I bought last summer has calendula in it which is "the best" for burns and helps with healing.  Check it out on the web and let me know if you want me to send you a little sample.  The other women that have written to me are experiencing the same burn relief as me.

The cream should be applied after each treatment and not less than 4-5 hours before treatments.  You can also put it in the frig. and apply it cold for extra soothing relief.  You should use it about 2-3 weeks after treatment as well to help heal.

After more extensive research, I also found that Aquaphor has mineral oil as the main ingredient which has actually been linked to causing cancer in some studies.

Theresa

I have 12 days to go for my IMRT. 

From 3 yrs ago, I have been using Renew from Melaleuca company and so far I am doing good, skin-wise.  On the consultation day, I asked what the doctor would recommend, if any, in terms of creams.  Response was none so I continued with Renew. 

My doctor saw some redness just last week but no blisters.  No pain on the outside but I can feel occassional pain from the inside (more like shooting pain - doctor said, it was normal to feel that).

On a different occassion, I asked the nurse what cream they suggest but she said nothing in particular, use what you have been accustomed to but to avoid putting anything 4 hrs prior to rads.

I asked about Aquaphor but did not really say that she recommended it, even the rad oncologist.

Used the clear 100% Aloe Vera Gel, felt really cooling and worked well.

Someone posted to use "Alra"  so I bought the deodorant and gel since it was made specifically to prevent radiation side effects.  The deodorant is made with all natural ingredients and has no metals in it. It seems to be working. 

The Alra lotion was created by a dermatologist whose wife went through radiation.  It is supposedly highly recommended by MD Anderson Hospital.  I bought it on www.alra.com and it arrived in 5 days. I'm supposed to use it right after treatment and two other times a day.  I'll let you know if it works, but I can't imagine that it won't.

The cost was very reasonable as well.

Regards,

Jo Ann from Maryland

Today was the 14th treatment. My skin is very light and from the first day of radiation, my breast skin turned pink. However, the ALRA cream applied immediately after the treatment, after my morning shower, and before bed at night has been a miracle.  My skin is soft and intact. I'm using ALRA deodorant on that side too, which seems to be working and is keeping the tender underarm skin intact as well. I've been using Dove soap, unscented, and it's kept my skin moist as well.  All these things add up. 

Hi Westie,

Here's another breast cancer survivors comments using My Girl's Radiation cream, a calendula-based cream that fights burns, heals wounds and lessens pain:

"I used the cream each day through most of my radiation and the only area that blistered was an area where I had seldom applied the cream because I made the error of thinking that area would not be affected by the radiation.  Several hours after application, the soreness of the blistering ceased and after two days was healed."  Ann Callahan-Spellman

 Let me know if you want to try the cream I used.

 Theresa

Hi Westie, I saw that you experienced blistering like I did so I am trying to make people aware of calendula-based creams to protect and heal radiated skin. Here is another bc survivors comment about the cream and a technique she developed to prevent discomfort.

• Use a kitchen-size Glad bag.  Cut an end off of the bottom of the bag.  Put on radiation cream on radiated area.  Then, slip arm into the top end of the bag and through the opening you've cut at the bottom.  Press the bag against the affected area - the cream will hold it in place.  Now, you can put on a shirt, sweatshirt over it without any friction against the delicate, radiated area.  Good to go. . .
• I do this in the morning after a shower.  Leave it on for about 5 hours; then, let the area "air dry" for about an hour in the afternoon, and finish up by putting on more cream and a new bag.  Before bed, I do this one more time and wear bag during the night. 

Best cream that's worked for me on relieving the stinging, burning, itching is "My Girl's Radiation Cream".  http://www.radiationcream.com/

Debbie Kotsch Imhoff, Santa Rosa, CA

I have just completed one week of radiation with no major side effects or problems.  When I met with the nurse the first day of treatment, she recommended that I get a special cream designed specifically for radiation patients called Miaderm (it contains both calendula and aloe vera, please see more at http://www.miaderm.com/).  This cream was developed by radiation oncologists specifically for patients undergoing radiation to minimize side effects and promote healing. It costs about $25 per 4oz tube from them, but my doctor made arrangements with one of the Walgreen's pharmacies in Bellevue WA to stock some for his patients (they also sell it for about $25 per tube).  I am not trying to sell this and am too new to the process to comment on its effectiveness, however, since no one had mentioned it, I thought I would throw it out.  It is recommended that you use it 3 - 4 times per day, and can use it up to three hours prior to treatment (my nurse advised that if you order 3 tubes, they will ship it for free and estimated that a woman would likely go thru 3 tubes during their radiation treatment).  So far, I have been applying it in the early morning, then take my tube with me and apply it immediately after treatment and then re-apply it prior to going to bed. 

If anyone else has used this or heard of its effectiveness, I would be interested in hearing your comments. For those that are looking for something to try, I hope this might prove to be a good option for you.

 Wishing you all the very best!  Rickster