Mepitel Film Reduces Severe Radiation Dermatitis
Hi, I have had surgery for Invasive Lobular Carcinoma and next up is Radiation Therapy 5 wks/5 days wk. I have sensitive skin, and since skin burn is a major side effect, I need to reduce as much as possible. Several reputable clinical trials have proven that applying Mepitel film reduces skin burns by as much as 80%. It can be purchased from Amazon and other sources but I have many questions about it and the manufacture cannot help since they claim they do not sell it in the US so any source selling is must be getting it from a distributor. Has anyone used this film? If so, where did you purchase it? Can I apply it myself? (from a video of how to do that it appears I would need someone to do that). Does it have to be applied each time or can it stay on for the full week? Of so, can I shower with it on? Whatever you know about this will be helpful.
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Hello. I used the Mepitel film for rads; it was provided by my radiation techs at MD Anderson. It was applied by the techs and remained on for a couple of weeks at a time. They only placed the film in an area where I was receiving the highest amount of radiation, not the entire radiation field (which was large). I suggest asking your RO about the film to see if it will be approved for use at your facility. There are several other posts about Mepitel film on the forum, so I suggest doing a search to see them. Good luck to you.
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Hi,
My understanding is that the sensitivity of your skin does not correlate with skin issues from radiation since the mechanism is different ( they come from within). The research on mepitel film is accumulating but where I am they are very conservative and won't support it until there is a bucketload- (that said they had a handout on it). I had a wound care nurse apply it and it does take lots of work to maintain as you need to put it on before, repair any places it pulls off or peels and leave it on a couple weeks after when the impact peaks. For me I absolutely tried it and they covered the entire area. It was warm out (late spring early summer) and I had a lumpectomy and they were radiating part of my neck and armpit (lymph node areas) so I found the sweat impacted the "stay- put "factor and with all the repairs (and the cost for it all for the repairs) it became tricky. The doc said if my skin got worse I would have to decide to keep it on for the duration or take it off before I had major skin issues so I could use cold saline compresses and medicated cream. I ended up taking it off as my skin was getting angry. That said I have heard of many many clients with amazing results. Hope a personal experience helps
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Thank you. You have given me more to think about. It is hot where I live and will be clean into the end of September when I I will be having radiation (5 wks 5 days/wk) and I perspire even when inside in AC. I have a follow-up with my Radiation team 8/23 so will go over all of this with him. I asked another member of this portal where she got the film, but since I am new at this I cannot see my reply in the system…must have done something wrong.
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