Burned after only 2 treatments...

see another radiation oncologist for a second opinion, and tell you radiation oncologist you want a second opinion. Did you get prescribed any burn cream to apply after each treatment? like biafine?

Be your own advocate and don't settle for a doctor who won't listen to you. You deserve the best treatment

Best wishes,

Alison

Sharon, as I said, get a second opinion and tell the doctor you are getting one. You don't want to be the one whose doctor blew her off and end up really sick because of it. Sorry to sound so strong. You need a doctor who will take the time to talk to you or cut him loose.

I had a similar experience after the first day My breast felt hotter and hotter all afternoon, and was quite pink. The next day, I insisted on seeing the RO before treatment. She said it was an initial reaction that would calm down and gave me the day (Friday) off. After the three-day weekend, my reaction was normal and it was two weeks before I saw any increase in pinkness.

I'm extremely fair skinned and my RO assured me that is not a factor in predicting who develops skin issues. She was correct--I had no more problems, just the expected Although I worried all through treatment, getting redder and itchier pretty much on schedule, I never developed any real problems.

If I were you, I'd show up a little early on Monday and ask to see both the nurse and the RO before treatment, and maybe the head tech as well. If your center has different RO's seeing patients on different days, do not hesitate to see whoever is there. Different points of view are always helpful.

Is your breast calming down after a couple of days off? Do you think it possible that you might have a bit of an infection?

No it was Miaplex bandages but hopefully you wont need them as her skin broke open and they helped her heal.I hope the Miaderm gives you some relief!

Sharon, an RO has to be on call 24/7. Why don't you call your center right now (or whenever is convenient). Actually, maybe a call to your breast surgeon would be more helpful. The BS is the person who OK'd you for rads after surgery, so would probably be grateful for the call, weekend or no weekend.

I was one of those with major problems/burning due to RADS and I just soldiered on. Eventually, my skin broke open, oozed, peeled (despite applying various recommended potions) became infected (cellulitis). I ended up in the hospital on IV antibiotics with an infected seroma (walled off due to RADS) and cellulitis. Broken skin allows bacteria and infection to set up shop. I'm not writing to scare you, but to impress upon you not to just soldier on like I did.

You can insist upon radiation breaks-mine were done around the holidays last year and at one point I had no RADS for 5 days due to the holidays and no one thought this was a problem-and it helped in terms of my skin damage . I would have asked for more breaks (or just called in sick for a few days break) if I'd known then what I know now!

Visit your surgeon ASAP (this in my opinion is easier than finding a new radiologist for a second opinion at this point) and show him what it is happening to you. The radiologist I used hardly examined my breast at all and so did not notice the seroma-and that is the area of my breast that burned the worst. Surgeons generally seem to examine breasts more carefully than radiologists and are protective of their work-if there is a reason to back off, delay or change your RADS treatment IMO the surgeon is more likely to tell it like it is-and their opinions seem to trump radiologists on the medical hierarchy thing. . My radiologist just seemed to want to get it done, regardless of the obvious damage being done to my tissues and skin-I think if I'd shown my surgeon what was happening as it was happening, rather than waiting until the damage was done things might have gone better for me.

I just finished three weeks of radiation (not as many as some of you, granted). Every day when I came home, I sat on my bed with a 1-quart measuring cup of ice water with about 2 tablespoons of vinegar in it. I soaked two washcloths and laid them over my breast, making sure to tuck a good portion under the breast where my incision is. Then I held a pillow over the whole business until I felt that the coolness had ebbed away. Dunk the washcloths again, rinse, and repeat. I did this for 30-45 minutes every day after radiation. Then I put on the lotion they gave me, alternating with aloe vera. I tell you... when that ice cold wash cloth hit my hot red skin, it was bliss. (Obviously, the wash cloth was not FREEZING, just very cold.) I could just feel the heat being sucked away. Spent that time listening to music and reading my kindle.

It reminds me of when I was a kid and came in from being all day in the sun and only to realize that I'd spent WAAAY too much time in the sun. I'd sit with cool, damp washcloths (that I would cool by waving them in the air) on my shoulders and the drug of choice: Noxema! Ahhh... that strong menthol scent of that cooling cream still evokes days in the sun... Anyhoo, the point was to stave off a sunburn. Sometimes it worked.

I do have a little bit of skin breakdown under my breast, but I'm also lining the lower edge of my bra with a gauze pad to absorb any moisture (it's already near 90 here).

YMMV.

I used pure aloe after each treatment and acquphor at bed time .. No skin issues at all. Good luck

So happy to hear your news, Sharon, especially about the RO switch. Now that you mention it, my RO suggested the anti-inflammatory thing as well, and I did it for a couple of weeks. After two weeks, when my pinkness finally matched the norm, I began to taper off. Here's hoping you'll have smooth sailing from now on.

Sharon, I too am fair skinned, freckled, a red headed lady first (now white, yay), and I was just like you, after just a few treatments I was burned. I did continue to do all my treatments without pause. I used only what my radiologist told me I could use...of course never before tx but immediately after. He ended up prescribing silvadene, like from the burn unit, as by 35 tx I was crispy. I did scar in two small places. The silvadene gave me the most relief. What lotion or cream does your Radiologist have you using? And shame on him for his flip attitude....I am sorry your going thru this!. You will make it. You can do this. You can do what you need to get healthy. Hang in there