Topic: Skin Cream during radiation

Irishred -

Have you told your rads technician/doctor you're using hydrocortisone cream?  I don't think you're supposed to go anywhere near that stuff during rads, especially with your skin breaking down like that.  I'm pretty sure it will only make things worse.

No one has mentioned lidocaine gel, which my rads onc gave me during my treatments.  It helps the discomfort quite a bit, and it is the only thing I used during rads.  I don't think anything actually prevents skin breakdown, but I do know that one reason they tell you not to use ANY creams or ointments that are not prescribed is because they actually make skin breakdown worse and more likely. 

ccbaby -  I also checked with my radiologist today and she had no problem with me using 1% cortisone if I have any itching and also offered me a prescription if I wanted something stronger. With that said, I still appreciate desdemona22's input re: the risks of overuse of hydrocortisone. The thing I love about this site is that there's tons of info and points of view; all of it gives me the tools to make informed decisions.

For whatever reason, they didn't start rads today but simply did films. Tomorrow the process starts for real.  

I am 3 weeks out of rads and used Silvadene, prescribed by my Dr. I tried a couple of sample topical creams they gave me but nothing eased my discomfort like Silvadene. I would slather the section that was raw and weepy with Silvadene then cover with a bandage ( the ones I had left over from my mastectomy) the bandages are meshy so the wound would still get air. That's the ONLY relief I found. 

Hang in there my friends.....it rads WILL end soon. There's no tougher gals in the world than breast cancer sufferers.

nonnie -

I wore either extremely large athletic bras or extremely tight workout tanks (the kind with lots of spandex).  This is  SO important for ladies to know about when they're going in.  Going braless can actually cause the kind of damage I was talking about that I have because of skin rubbing on skin, but bras are out of the question.  So getting something long, like your camisoles without the shelf or the other stuff I mentioned is critical.

I had trouble finding any type of cream my radiologist or the people on here recommended.  I order MY GIRLS Radiation Cream online, while it feels good dont think it really did much.  I also order Pure aloe vera online, and keep it in the frig,  it does feel good going on.  My rad dr gave me samples of Miaderm, which is also nice.  I have had one major problem under my arm, which kept me off rads for two weeks but silvadeen healed it nicely.

There are a lot of posts on this topic!  But, I know that when I was in rads, I read all the posts, so I'll post some of my experience. To me, the worst part was never knowing how bad it would get. It got bad, but had I known I wouldn't have trouble with "wet desquamation," I would have been less stressed about the redness, itching, and pain that I did have.  Once my skin started being uncomfortable, I spent as much time as I could staying home with my skin exposed to the air. I used a lot of products on it, too. I didn't want to use the petroleum products; oddly, all the ones the docs recommend have petroleum/methylparabens. These ingredients are controversial; probably OK but I still tried to avoid using them.  I bought Boiron calendula at Whole Foods (though it does have petrolatum), Burt's Bees After Sun Soother (Walmart), Country Comfort Herbal Savvy (Whole Foods), Egyptian Magic (online), and My Girl's Radiation Cream (online). I used plain aloe gel and even tried my own aloe plant, but the consistency wasn't easy to use. I got tired of the calendula and other salves that were thick and greasy and felt bad with clothes on. Everything helped a little, but of course the treatments are powerful insults to the skin. My Girl's was my favorite toward the end when the skin was the worst. My Girl's feels cool and gets absorbed and I felt it had safe ingredients. I thought the amount in the container was generous, and I was comfortable using as much as I wanted to use without feeling the need to scrimp. I used that and Burt's Bees for several weeks after completion of treatment. I finished the My Girl's. Now, several months out, I use some Burt's Bees if my skin feels a little dry or itchy. About My Girl's and the advertising on this message board - I do think the owner made some mistakes on this website; but when I contacted her in June, she was very nice to me. She rushed a jar of cream to me because I was going on a trip for a few days and felt desperately in need of "something better" to deal with the skin getting worse and worse. She told me how she found/created the cream, and she seems sincere in her efforts to help people with this product that she happened to find. It's a good product. I think trying different things can be helpful, in that you feel like you are doing something for your poor sad skin. I was surprised and disappointed that the docs and nurses had minimal knowledge about products, but I was impressed with the docs about everything else. I guess they know what to do when the skin needs medical care. I introduced the calendula and My Girl's to the radiation oncologist. I hope this is helpful for those reading it at the difficult time of therapy. Be well...

Hi All,

 My first post on this site - for what it's worth.... 

I finished 16 rad  treatments in early Sept. I used -

* very  mild soap in a WARM shower (Although Dove was recommended, I used a natural olive oil soap)

 * Glaxal cream (the base for most cream medications) applied liberally 2 - 3 x /day,  given to me by the rad folk

* a cotton bra (which, because I am/was a 38 DD, I wore the whole time with no problems, except for its becoming very multicoloured where I was marked each day ;-)

and I aired my breast for at least an hour /day

This was great and I had no skin issues BUT 7 - 10 days after the rad was over, when I was told it would peak, it did and I had all sorts of skin issues although never blistering the skin. These lasted for several weeks.  Coincidently, I began using Dove soap (we were away). I was told to back off the cream.

Almost two monthe later, my skin is good except for a new, worrisome mole that has appeared and we are watching.

Good luck all.

Caroline - Thanks for the warning !!! I'm starting boosts today and several people have warned me that boosts are esp hard on the skin and also that I need to keep moisturizing for 2 weeks after everything ends. As on woman put it, we keep "cooking". It's one of those warnings like "Look both ways before you cross the street"; one can't here it too much !

YoungOldMe,

I feel the same way you do about petroleum based ingredients. I haven't used products like this for years. It seems like during rads it's even more important to avoid parabens, synthetic fragrances etc. 

I don't start rads until Dec, but I've been giving a lot of thought to what I will use during tx.  This thread has been very helpful! 

I'm really considering the suggestion to make a tea with dried calendula and  comfrey, maybe I'll apply that  in a base of 100% aloe. 

I'd like to follow it up  with something oily/softening.   Does anyone know if there is a particular reason to avoid vit e oil during rads? I'm thinking of adding  a few drops of vit e to olive or coconut oil, to help seal in some moisture. 

Biafine - contains Squalene (Fish oil; 7^th Ingredient), Avocado Oil (8^th Ingredient)

Xclair - contains Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter, containing both Vitamin A & E; 3^rd Ingredient), Ethylhexyl Palmitate (a derivative of Palm Oil; 5^th Ingredient), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E; 11^th Ingredient ), Hydrogenated Castor Oil (12^th Ingredient)

Radx - Sweet Almond Oil (3^rd Ingredient after Aloe and Water)

Miaderm - Calendula ( 3^rd  and 4^th Ingredient), Rosa Canina Seed Oil (Rose Hip Oil containing Vitamin E; 13^th Ingredient)

Alra  Therapy Lotion - Vitamin E

Jeans Cream - Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E Acetate)

By the way, Olive Oil is also a strong antioxidant

 Caroline - I had actually backed off the lotions as well; to me, they seemed to be aggravating and bringing out the bumps more than if I did nothing. Then the nurse showed me how burnt I was getting and suggested that the bumps might be better to deal with than the burn that would result if I went thru boosts using very little moisturizer. So, I started again

MarkeyGoW - You're a really good friend !

As far as I know, there's only been a bit of discussion about it on this site and they make a distinction between super market honey and pure, medical grade honey. Check out: Topic: Has anyone else used "MediHoney?" at http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/70/topic/741969?page=1#post_1547628  as well as another thread on this Discussion Board, "Honey heals wounds- Research to back it" at http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/79/topic/736964/1438443

For even more information and some direct feedback, why don't you also post your question on the natural girls site:  http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/79/topic/730113?page=107#idx_3192 .

One word of advice: If you're friend decides to use honey and lives in the US, she might want to do some research and find studies re: using honey to give to her radiation oncologist. From my personal experience, rad oncs here are hesitant to give their okay to use a "natural cure" that they're unfamiliar with, unless there's some empirical evidence that such a cure does work. I used Apple Cider Vinegar (10% ACV to 90% water) and at first my radonc said "No"; after I showed her my research, she not only okayed it but was rather intrigued by the whole thing.

As for the use of honey, I found a very small Dutch study specifically on point,  "The Effect of Honey Compared to Conventional Treatment on Healing of Radiotherapy Induced Skin Toxicity in Breast Cancer Patients" (see http://pdfserve.informaworld.com/892817__749296021.pdf ); it looked at 24 patients and found that those using honey actually had less pain, itching and irritation than those using traditional salves. However, I think that they used medical grade/sterile honey rather than the sort we put on bread or in tea.  

By the way, you might also find helpful a comprehensive list of lotions and creams used by the various women on this site: http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/70/topic/739663?page=1#idx_14  

The ladies on this site are really quite helpful. Feel free to ask questions.

Hi everyone, 

Just wanted to let everyone know that I used Aveeno cream for dry skin throughout my treatment (5 weeks) after it was approved by my rads team. I think it helped a lot; I never had skin breakdown, although the skin under my arm turned almost black and eventually peeled. The worst time was the 2 weeks post-rad (I finished Oct. 20), I couldn't believe how sensitive and sore my skin was. I bought Basics cotton bras at Walmart for a big $10 each, and they really helped during the treatment. Good luck to everyone, and I hope this helps.