First radiotherapy session!

Jules1170....My radiotherapy was in 2016 and I think there have been a lot of changes but I suspect the main instructions will remain the same. My unit prescribed hyaluronic acid cream and it was very good. I had 33 sessions of radiotherapy so I met a variety of other patients in the waiting area during the five weeks. I never met anyone who burnt. We were all given an introductory instruction session on the day we had our tattoos where the correct creaming and cleansing procedure was explained. I'm wondering if some radiotherapy units are scrapping cream because they don't have time to explain  how to use it. Also there are a number of creams which can do more damage because they contain substances like lanolin  which isn't a good idea. Anyway, the idea of the cream is to keep the skin moisterised but the most important thing is to have completely clean, oil free, cream free skin for the next session of radiotherapy . If the cream is thick, it needs a strong, perfume free soap to remove it in the shower before you go each day. I was told by the nurse to use a savon surgras. You can get it on Amazon and perhaps some UK chemists. It's a french product but it does remove the cream. 

So my advice would be to ask the nurses in your unit what they want you to do. If they say no cream......you'd better do it their way. If they say any moisturiser.....make sure it's perfume free and doesn't contain lanolin. If you can get it....hyaluronic acid cream is brilliant but is very thick and must be removed before you go.

Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.

I hope all goes well. I didn't burn and hardly went pink but I followed the instructions I was given exactly.

Hi Jules1170,.

It seems to vary considerably from unit to unit. I finished my radiotherapy (Fast Forward  5 sessions) on 26th June. My unit provided Epaderm cream  while I attended the unit and I have since had more prescribed by Practice Nurse. The general idea is to keep the treated area moisturised during and after treatment.Follow their instructions to the letter and all should be well. You will find that the actual treatment only takes a few minutes - the thing that takes the time is getting you positioned exactly as required, but you just lie there and the radiographers move you!They are very kind and understanding and experts in their field.

As to side effects very individual as of course is the treatment. Depends on your skin type I was told ,but they check the area on a daily basis. I wore a supportive bra  as advised and found an old soft cotton hankie tucked between the bottom of the bra and chest wall helped to prevent friction and soreness.I was also advised to continue with the post-op exercises to keep good shoulder movement.If you have had the tattoos you will probably be able to shower as usual but turn away from the shower head so that it is a gentle flow of water.Dab the area dry rather than rub it. If you think of sunburn and treat accordingly you won't go far wrong!Hope this is of help to you and wish you an easy time through your radiotherapy. Sending hugs XXKwissy

Oh thanks, that’s helpful, I wasn’t given much advice at the planning session except to use nothing perfumed and whatever works best. The oncologist suggested Aloe vera which I bought, but then read that it totally the wrong thing to use just don’t want to make things worse

thanks

My wife and I were particularly worried about this as she has very light and sensitive skin.  She cannot tan, and has to use factor 50, and is also very cautious with creams and lotions.  She also has problems with Elastoplast.

The advice she was given at the planning stage was not to use anything if she has such sensitive skin.  They also recommended E45 if she had to use something.  My wife had tried a test area with E45 prior to the RT and experienced a skin reaction.

We subsequently obtained Waterjel R1 and R2 because we had read so many good reports about it on this site.  The RT staff had never heard of it.

My wife used R1 and R2 following the first session.  By the beginning of the 2nd session, her breast was very pink.  The staff were concerned and believed it was so pink she might have an infection.  They marked her breast with a pen in order to plot any expansion of the alleged infection.  One RT staff member said he had not seen such a reaction to the first session of RT in 30 years!

Needless to say, my wife was panicked!  She decided not to apply anything and just gently soaped her breast with Simple soap, then rinsed with just warm water once per day in the shower before each RT session.  She dried her breast off very carefully with a thin cosmetic cloth, ie just absorbing the water, and not moving the cloth across her breast.  Taking particular care under the breast and along the scar edge.

Thankfully this strategy has worked so far.  She is 9 days post the 5 day Fast Forward RT and her breast has been fairly comfortable throughout.  She had a little heat generally, and tenderness around the nipple and areolar, but nothing too drastic.  There is no longer any heat.  The areolar still looks swollen, but it was a little swollen before the RT.  Her breast is a lot less pink.  I would add that the lower half of her breast was quite pink from the point of surgery right up until the RT.  It was a much deeper pink after the first session.  It is less pink now than it was before the commencement of the RT.

Hope this helps.

D

We hope this good outcome continues.

PS  My wife never wore a bra throughout, and does not intend to wear one until about another week.  She wears just soft cotton blouses so that there is no friction.

D

Thanks Kwissy, they haven’t really advised anything except to avoid perfumed moisturiser. I’ve got some Aloe vera gel in case of burning and could always see my Gp if it’s a problem I guess. 
thanks for your advice ,  xx

Jules1170 Hope by now that your RT is almost finished and that you find your way back on here ok. Sending hugs xx

1. Hi Jules1170 I hope your radiotherapy is going well, I was given a huge tub of moisturiser by the hospital on the first day of my treatment to use daily and also had some patches as I had a couple of instances of itching aggravated skin so the patches could be made slightly damp and positioned under my bra and just cooled and soothed  any itching. I did overdo it with the moisturising at one stage though so make sure you clean it well each day as I was scared of being too rough when showering and a build up of cream caused an unpleasant reaction . On the whole radiotherapy treatment was all good, just having to be still and breathing on command, huge hugs xx