long term skin effects from radiation?

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htrenholm
htrenholm Member Posts: 3
edited June 2014 in Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After

I finished my radiation treatment 2 years ago.  Things went well for me, and I didn't have much skin damage or sensitivity.  However recently due a hurricane, I was without electricity (and air conditioning) for 4 hot days.  I developed a heat rash under my left breast (the one that had the surgery and radiation).  I have large breasts (even after the lumpectomy) and they hang down and sweat can get trapped underneath.   Both breasts were exposed to the same sweat, heat, etc. but only the on that had been radiated developed the heat rash which went away after 10 (uncomfortable) days.  Now a month later, the skin under that breast is again red and painful.  I wonder if there's any connection between the skin sensitivity and the radiation treatment.  It seems a little too coincidental that it is only that side that has turned sensitive, but I've never heard of skin being sensitive this long after treatment.  I was just wondering if anyone else has noticed anything similar.

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  • mrsnjband
    mrsnjband Member Posts: 1,409
    edited October 2011

    There are two possible things that could be causing your symptons. First, could be LE, lymphedema, heat can definitely cause sudden redness & swelling. This needs to be treated by an LE therapist.

    Second, could be cellulitus.  This is a skin infection & really needs to be treated with anti-biotics. I had this for months & no one mentioned the possibility of it being cellulitis until I ended up in the hospital. If it conitues to get bigger you need to get treatment right away. Mine flared right where I had my rads, it looked like I had just had a rads treatment. The last time it went in my arm and was very painful.

    Hopefully Binney will see this & give you lots more info on it.  NJ 

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  • mrsnjband
    mrsnjband Member Posts: 1,409
    edited October 2011

    I was thinking one of the things I took during the cellulitus is benedryl. It seemed to help fight the inflammation of the infection.  Hope you are able to discover the cause of you problem. NJ

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  • peggy_j
    peggy_j Member Posts: 1,700
    edited October 2011
    htrenholm I saw a dermatologist a few months after rads and asked if there were any long term SEs of rads on my skin. She said some patients do have skin problems. (she told me the name of the condition, but I'm sorry, I don't have my notebook with me). She said the skin problems can take awhile to show up, like 6-12 months after treatment. Or, in your situation, it might be possible that they are brought on by an extreme weather condition. So, if it were me I would see a dermatologist to get their opinion.
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  • Allie363
    Allie363 Member Posts: 1
    edited March 2013

    Thank you --I've been looking all over the place for a discussion on this issue.  I had a double rad treatment (a minor skin spread after chemo and initial 5 weeks of rads) in a 2 inch by 2 inch area between the breasts (I had a radical mastechomy).  A few weeks ago I went XC skiing and raced to keep up with the group.  I had about 5 layers of clothing (including an alpaca turtleneck sweater etc.) and felt my clothes had melted on my by the end of the ski.  That night I found several small bumps ONLY in the area that had been double treated.  It's been about a week now and they are itchy, red, and sore (inflamed).  I think my nodes are working overtime to clear it out too because I have some new breast pain in the area.  Does this sound like cellulitis?  I saw an oncologist last week who wants to leave it for a month (and do nothing, suggested nothing, I don't think he even touched the bumps) so I called the clinic back and will have CT scan, etc. I'll let you know what they say since there's not much discussion on this topic.  Thanks to you all for your posts.  I'm most grateful.  Blessings and hugs.

    PS It's been about 6 months since my last rad treatment (second time) and the skin spread showed up about 3 months after my first rads (really small pimple-like things with no redness or pain -- which my GP said was nothing but I pointed them out to my oncologist a month later anyway.  Within 72 hours I was in the surgeon's office having them removed and biopsied!

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