Radiotherapy is the treatment of malignant tumors and some benign diseases using one or more kinds of ionizing radiation, which has become one of the main means of tumor treatment. Radiotherapy inevitably causes damage to normal tissues to a greater or lesser extent before and after the rays penetrate the body tissues to reach the tumors, and the cells in the normal tissues of the body that proliferate faster are more sensitive to the rays, thus radiotherapy is prone to produce side effects on these tissues.

Depending on the site of radiotherapy and the length of time after radiation therapy, radiotherapy side effects manifest themselves in a variety of ways and can be broadly categorized as systemic and localized.

1. Systemic side effects: manifested by a number of functional disturbances and disorders, such as loss of appetite, mental fatigue, fatigue, nausea and vomiting.

2. Local side effects: Because radiotherapy is a localized treatment, the side effects of radiotherapy are more often manifested as local reactions, most of which can be recovered. Local side effects are mainly seen in the mucous membranes and skin.

Mucosal reaction: divided into mild, moderate and severe. Mild manifestations of oral mucosa redness, congestion, reduced secretion, dry mouth, eating slightly less; moderate manifestations of significant congestion and edema in the oropharynx, spotty white film, ulcer formation, difficulty eating; severe manifestations of extreme congestion of the oral mucosa, vesiculation, worsening of the ulcers, purulent secretion, inability to eat.

Skin: 2-3 weeks after the start of radiotherapy, the skin in the area of radiotherapy will be dry, red, burning sensation, hair loss, skin flaking, itching, and in severe cases, even blisters to ulceration.

After fully understanding the side effects of radiation therapy, I believe you will ask, "What should I do as a patient to prevent them?" Yes, prevention is very important, on the one hand, in order to cooperate well with the doctor to complete the treatment, on the other hand, to reduce the pain caused by radiotherapy. Clinical studies have shown that these side effects of radiotherapy can be alleviated if prevented or if timely intervention is made.

There are several things you can do as a patient:

1. Keep the skin in the radiotherapy area clean and tidy; wear cotton and loose-fitting clothes, and less chemical-fiber clothes; reduce local irritation, for example, do not use soap and other toiletries that are highly irritating on the skin in the radiotherapy area; do not rub or scratch the sensitive areas; do not use too hot water for bathing; do not expose the skin of the irradiated area to the sun; and do not apply all kinds of medicinal ointments and skin creams on the skin of the irradiated area without a doctor's consent.

2. Carry out oral examination before radiotherapy, rinse the mouth with light salt water during and after radiotherapy, change soft-bristled toothbrush to brush the teeth, and avoid eating spicy, too hard and too hot food. If there is difficulty in eating, semi-liquid and liquid food can be eaten to ensure the intake of calories, protein and vitamins.

Tumor patients do not need to be too nervous and worried when side effects related to radiotherapy occur, they should face these side effects correctly, and what you need to do when encountering side effects of radiotherapy is to "report to your doctor, follow the doctor's instructions, do a good job in preventing radiotherapy, keep your mood comfortable, and actively cooperate with your doctor to complete the treatment."

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Tumor radiation therapy, referred to as radiotherapy, is an effective means of basic tumor treatment, and it can also be combined with surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy to maximize the fight against tumors. Its mechanism of action is to use various rays, neutrons, protons, etc. to irradiate the tumor lesion and the surrounding areas of potential metastatic risk to achieve the purpose of effectively inhibiting and killing tumor cells. It is a means of localizing tumors, but like surgery, it also causes systemic reactions, but the clinical manifestations vary depending on individual tolerance.

Systemic manifestations include: 1. Reduced blood count (white blood cells, platelets and hemoglobin) Radiation field includes some hematopoietic tissues of the human body, such as the sternum, flat bone, which often causes bone marrow suppression, commonly for the reduction of white blood cells followed by platelets and hemoglobin. If the irradiated area is small or only some soft tissue areas are irradiated, bone marrow suppression may not occur. Effective monitoring is by weekly repeat blood tests for early detection and prompt management.

2. Skin pigmentation or radiation dermatitis Skin is the largest organ of human body, when radiotherapy for tumors in vitro, especially in the late stage of radiotherapy for tumors, it can be seen that the place where the radiation passes through on the patient's body is red, dry and itchy, and the hair follicles are obvious, this is a relatively mild radiation dermatitis, local avoid excessive friction and applying radioprotectant, which can be healed spontaneously after a period of time. There are also patients who scratch, rub or apply irritating substances on their own, and blisters and ulcers may appear on the local skin. In this case, it is necessary to stop radiotherapy, disinfect the local area and apply drugs for symptomatic treatment. This kind of serious radiation dermatitis is relatively rare, and during radiotherapy, it is necessary to pay attention to wearing cotton foreign objects, avoiding local friction and the use of irritating substances.

3. Fatigue, fatigue and loss of appetite are common in tumor patients, on the one hand, it is due to the fact that tumor patients often have cancer-caused fatigue, and on the other hand, the lowering of white blood cells during radiotherapy and poor diet can also cause such feelings. Loss of appetite and poor diet are also common in tumor patients, and there is no effective clinical intervention. It is suggested that patients should exercise moderately, eat light and nutritious food, and eat more fruits to increase the intake of vitamins.

Radiotherapy is, after all, a localized treatment, and its primary response is related to the localized irradiation site.

1. Intracranial tumors Brain metastases, gliomas, etc. mainly irradiate intracerebral tissues, which often cause cranial hypertension, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, headache, hair loss and other reactions, which can be tolerated after active dehydration and symptomatic treatment.

2. After radiotherapy for head and neck cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, oropharyngeal cancer, laryngeal cancer, etc., the main manifestation is the reaction of oral mucous membrane, which is manifested as congestion, erosion and ulceration of oral mucous membrane, and in severe cases, it can be hemorrhaged and accompanied by local infection, causing strong discomfort to patients. And pain, ulcers lead to tumor patients eating disorders, can not get enough nutrients, vitamin intake is reduced, further leading to delayed healing of local wounds, resulting in a vicious circle. Secondly, attention should be paid to mouth opening training. Irradiation of the temporomandibular joint in the field will cause mouth opening dysfunction to a certain extent in the late stage, and mouth opening training should be carried out for a long period of time during and after the radiotherapy period, so as to prevent mouth opening from being restricted in the late stage.

3. When radiotherapy for thoracic and abdominal tumors such as esophageal cancer, lung cancer, lymphoma, etc., the irradiation field may involve normal esophagus, trachea, lung, stomach and other tissues, which may cause retrosternal burning sensation, pain in eating, nausea, vomiting, irritating dry cough or coughing up white sputum, etc. These acute radioactive esophagitis, radioactive tracheitis and pneumonia can be basically tolerated after symptomatic anti-inflammation, gastric protection, cough suppression and other treatments.

4. Pelvic tumor: Rectal cancer, prostate cancer, cervical cancer and other irradiated pelvic tumors or lymphatic drainage area will inevitably cause damage to bowel, rectum and bladder in abdominal and pelvic cavity, which will lead to radiation proctitis and cystitis, which can be manifested as acute and recurrent symptoms, bloody stools, mucus stools, frequent urination, urgency and other discomforts. For radiation proctitis, the main antidiarrheal drug loperamide hydrochloride is given to stop diarrhea, and attention is paid to replenish water and electrolytes, and attention should be paid to exclude intestinal infections. Local irritation of the bladder, can drink more water, serious antibiotic and hormone anti-inflammatory symptoms can disappear quickly.

The above acute phase reaction of radiotherapy varies in severity depending on the individual's physique, tolerance, radiation dose and irradiation site. For tumor patients with reactions, they should communicate with their doctors as early as possible to maximize the reduction of reactions and facilitate the completion of radiotherapy.

My mother had 25 radiation treatments, so I'll show you a picture of what her neck looked like burned after the treatments!

My mother has lung adenocarcinoma, when the mold was made it was radiating the lungs, and from the site of the radiotherapy it should be irradiated from the neck here. According to her description, the first two weeks were okay, didn't feel anything, I rented her a house around the hospital 🏥, she even strolled around Qingdao's seashore with her friends to do some shopping after the radiotherapy.

From the third week onwards, I have felt a burning sensation there in my neck, and my voice has become hoarse, probably from exposure to the throat.But the doctor said.You can't apply anything during radiation therapy!

Another effect is thatBlood items.When white blood cells drop as a result of radiation therapy, the doctor mainly looks at neutrophils, and as long as they are higher than 1.8, you can have radiation therapy even if the total number of white blood cells is low.So, it is important to check the blood routine in time. During this period, my mother's white blood cells were low, but better than chemo, and then anemia, which I have been giving oral Agaricus solution.

Since there was no radiation on Saturday and Sunday, I took my mom home and at the end of the fifth week of radiation, this is what it looked like above. My mom's 63, and she looks like she's 93 in that skin from the radiation treatment.It was full of folds without a hint of elasticity, and the skin already had scabs like burns.

When the radiation treatment was over, I bought burn cream and badger oil, and papaya cream, and applied it to the skin that was burned by the radiation treatment there, and applied it for a month, I think, which is the picture below.

I don't have a PS haha, I just keep documenting things all the time on the road with my mom fighting cancer.

These are summarized as a family member of a patient, and we feel like we have learned a lot as we have been on the road to fighting cancer since we found out in June '19 until today.

• Learn to boost your white blood cells with dietary therapy
• Learned to buy targeted drugs from India
• Learned to look at some of the data in the blood count
• Learn the causes of some side effects of targeted drugs
• Learned how some herbs work
• Learned to read CT films

All in all, having cancer has made me strong inside, and I have to be more attentive to my patients to gather information, like raising a child, only then will I be able to effectively prolong the patient's life!

"I had radiation therapy and the side effects have tortured me to the point of wanting to quit ......"

This was told to me in the words of a 37-year-old nasopharyngeal cancer patient, who today is receiving her 7th radiation treatment.

As the first choice of adjuvant treatment for nasopharyngeal cancer, radiotherapy is not a "good boy", it not only destroys tumor cells, but also to normal cells and tissues, so there will be some side effects in the process of radiation therapy, so how do we cope with these nasty side effects?

(The side effects of radiation are different depending on the location of the radiation, so this article will systematically explain the most common side effects and measures to deal with them).

I. Gastrointestinal symptoms

As the most common side effect, almost all patients experience gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.

When encountering this kind of adverse reaction, do not take it hard, in addition to eating a light and easy to digest diet, eat less and more meals, you should also truthfully tell the doctor in charge of the appropriate medication to slow down the discomfort.

II. Myelosuppression

Many patients experience a decrease in white blood cell and platelet counts, complicated by symptoms of anemia.

In this case, in addition to being careful in activities and preventing injuries, appropriate dietary therapy can be used to replenish blood, such as red peanut coats in water. Of course, if the blood cell count is very low, you should also follow the doctor's instructions to use the relevant injections to promote hematopoiesis.

III. Skin damage

A side effect experienced by almost all patients, at first it is just redness and itching, as the number of radiation treatments increases the skin may darken, break down, or even rot.

1. Itchy, erythematous skin

You can gently pat the local skin with your hands, use water to clean the skin, and keep the skin liver and breathable. Do not use petroleum jelly ointment or wet compresses (affecting ray penetration), and avoid scrubbing vigorously with harsh cleansers.

2. Skin peeling and oozing

Inform your doctor and adjust the interval or dose of radiotherapy as appropriate to avoid further skin damage. You should also keep it clean and use some creams that promote inflammation repair as prescribed by your doctor to prevent infection.

In addition to these three points, there are some more common side effects such as hair loss (which grows back after the treatment is over).

Radiation therapy friends also need to be aware of the following points before receiving treatment:

1. Going out is to avoid direct sunlight, do a good job of physical sunscreen to avoid skin damage;

2. Clothing loose, soft, weak skin places such as the neck, perineum section to choose a soft silk scarf wrapped to protect;

3. Ointments containing metals should not be applied to the radiation treatment site to avoid affecting the treatment effect;

4. It is recommended to drink more than 2,000-4,000 milliliters of water daily to facilitate the elimination of toxins;

5. During the treatment period, choose a high protein, high calorie, low fat diet, and develop the habit of rinsing your mouth after meals so as not to affect the oral mucosa.

Everyone who fights cancer is strong and brave and exudes charisma and deserves to be treated well by life.

Radiation therapy is a localized treatment that uses radiation to treat tumors and is a very important part of lung cancer treatment. It usually targets the area of the tumor plus a portion of the surrounding normal tissue, and the radiation passes through a portion of the normal tissue, so it does produce varying degrees of adverse effects.

The systemic adverse effects of radiotherapy are mainly varying degrees of fatigue and malaise, generally caused by the exertion associated with tissue damage. Proper nutrition and adequate rest, along with appropriate exercise, are needed to get through this period. In addition, there are some digestive reactions, such as nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, constipation, abdominal distension, abdominal pain, etc. At this time, it is necessary to make timely dietary adjustments to alleviate the symptoms, to ensure adequate nutritional support, and to pay close attention to the presence of gastrointestinal bleeding or perforation and other serious complications. Some patients will have bone marrow transplantation during radiotherapy, and the indicators of white blood cells and platelets will be lowered, at this time, it is necessary to carry out timely and symptomatic treatment to raise white blood cells and platelets.

In addition to systemic adverse reactions, local adverse reactions in different parts of the body will occur according to the different parts of radiotherapy irradiation. The local adverse reactions of lung cancer are mainly as follows:

1. Radiation dermatitis: During radiotherapy, the skin will become red, swollen and itchy, and subsequently become pigmented and thickened and rough, with some parts of the skin possibly peeling, blistering or even eroding. At this time, attention should be paid to skin cleaning, do not use stimulating substances to clean, loose clothing to avoid friction. You can use some topical protective products under the guidance of your doctor.

2. Radiation esophagitis: it is mainly caused by edema and congestion of the esophageal mucosa after injury, and the patient will feel the retrosternal heartburn, and a few patients will have difficulty in swallowing. At this time, the diet should pay attention to reduce the stimulation, can be used to protect the esophageal mucosa, if eating difficulties can be appropriate according to the situation to be extragastrointestinal nutritional supplementation.

3. Radiation pneumonitis: radiation will cause interstitial damage to lung tissue, resulting in dry cough, chest tightness, fever and other manifestations. Therefore, during radiation therapy, we should improve the imaging examination according to the condition in time to detect it as early as possible, and if necessary, we can give glucocorticosteroids to deal with it, and if it is combined with infection, then we should treat it with anti-infection therapy in time.

4. Oral mucous membrane damage: the oral mucous membrane is sensitive to radiation and is prone to adverse reactions such as congestion, erosion and ulceration. At this time, attention should be paid to oral hygiene and care and according to the situation of local medication, and avoid diet and other factors of stimulation;

5. Damage to the central system: it is seen in patients who have undergone radiotherapy for brain metastases, which will cause or aggravate cerebral edema, and at this time, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, headache and other reactions will occur. At this time, we should closely monitor the patient's vital signs, timely and adequate dehydration and cranial pressure reduction therapy, and pay attention to head skin hygiene care, avoid scratching.

In addition, there are also cardiac injuries, radiation myelopathy, genitourinary injuries and so on. Current radiation therapy has made great progress compared to the past, and the above adverse reactions have been greatly reduced, and most of them are preventable and controllable, and medical personnel will take appropriate preventive and treatment measures according to the condition.

Radiotherapy is a relatively common method in cancer treatment. According to the statistics of Europe and the United States: about 60% or more of cancer patients receive radiotherapy at different stages. Radiotherapy is a treatment that uses radiation to irradiate the cancerous parts (cells) in the body, destroying the double-stranded structure of the DNA of the cancerous cells, so as to control the local tumor. Radiation used in radiotherapy includes X-rays, gamma rays, electron beams, neutron beams, proton beams and other particle beams, etc. High-energy radiation damages normal cells while destroying or annihilating cancerous cells, i.e., there are side effects of radiotherapy.

Side effects of radiotherapy sometimes appear suddenly during treatment or in the short term, depending on the patient's condition, the site of exposure, the dose, etc. The side effects of radiotherapy may gradually resolve within a few weeks to months after the treatment is stopped. They will gradually subside within a few weeks to months after treatment is stopped; however, some patients may take months or years for them to show up gradually.

Radiotherapy side effects are mainly concentrated in the irradiated area and the surrounding area, together with the radiotherapy can cause what side effects?

radiation damage to the esophagus

This manifestation usually occurs in the early stages of chest radiotherapy as hypopharyngeal pain and retrosternal pain, which is usually not severe; in the late stages, severe injury section develops esophageal ulcers and esophageal strictures.

radiological airway injury

When the dose of radiation irradiation of airway mucosa accumulates to a certain level, it will cause air to damage, irritating cough and other symptoms, generally can not appear serious damage, patients can tolerate or after symptomatic treatment can be relieved.

gastrointestinal dysfunction

In some cases, radioactivity can also cause gastrointestinal dysfunction, manifested as anorexia, nausea, vomiting, at this time, you can choose to bed rest, drink more water to promote the excretion of metabolites, a small number of meals, a light diet, more easily digestible food, again during the period you can also use digestive aids and appetizers, such as hawthorn and so on.

unable think calmly

Some patients may also cause fever during radiotherapy, such as tissue damage caused by radiotherapy itself or necrosis and absorption of tumor tissues; for example, fever caused by decreased blood count, reduced immune function, combined viral or bacterial infections; fever may be aggravated by combined chemotherapy or other immune-enhancing drugs. Therefore, in case of fever, we should find the cause of the disease and treat the symptoms. If the fever is lower than 38 degrees, we can not use antipyretic drugs and drink more water to promote sweating and urination; if it is more than 38 degrees, we can use antipyretic drugs; in addition, we should observe at any time, and if the condition is stabilized, we can continue the radiotherapy, and if the fever continues to be high, then we should stop the radiotherapy.

blood count is down

Hematopoietic system is highly sensitive to radiation, due to the radiation on the division and reproduction of various hematopoietic cells are inhibited, the release of mature cells (including white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets) to the surrounding blood is reduced, when they fall to a certain extent will have an impact on the human body and have certain harm, such as patients consciously generalized fatigue, which can easily lead to serious infections or even sepsis, with a tendency to hemorrhage, resulting in visceral and intracranial hemorrhage to Death, so, during radiotherapy, we should closely observe the changes in blood picture, if the decline is serious, we also need to cooperate with the treatment of whitening.

skin lesion

The most common thing in the process of radiotherapy is skin injury, especially in the neck, armpit and groin where the skin is thin and delicate and has many folds. When patients experience erythema, burning and tingling sensations, they can apply cream appropriately; during radiotherapy, they should also pay attention to underwear that is loose and soft, and the radiation area should not be cleaned with irritating substances or exposed to the sun.

Radiation therapy alone is less common in actual treatment, and most of them are combined with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, both of which have strong side effects and therefore require more active preparation before and during treatment.

Radiotherapy side effects are related to the site of radiotherapy, examples of which are given below:

1. Radiotherapy for intracranial tumors: causes headache, nausea, vomiting, increased intracranial pressure, etc;

2. Radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma: causing dry mouth, mouth ulcers, difficulty in swallowing and so on;

3、Radiotherapy for esophageal cancer: cause local edema, aggravation of dysphagia and so on;

4. Radiotherapy for lung cancer: causing cough, sputum, coughing up blood, dyspnea and so on;

5、Rectal cancer radiotherapy: cause blood in stool, rectal stenosis and so on;

6. Radiotherapy for bladder cancer: causing hematuria of bladder, bladder atrophy, etc;

7. Radiotherapy for breast cancer: causing skin damage, etc.

Choose authoritative science, enjoy a healthy life, welcome to follow the MD team!

radiotherapy

That is, radiation therapy, one of the mainstays of treatment for many tumors today, is a non-selective and damaging treatment in which radioactivity, includingXHigh-energy radiation such as rays, electron beams, neutron beams, proton beams and other particle beams damage normal cells while destroying or annihilating cancer cells, which means that there are some side effects of radiotherapy.

Taking lung cancer patients as an example, the main side effects of radiotherapy are as follows

1. Radiation lung injury:Acute radiation pneumonitis is a common and dangerous complication of radiation therapy for lung cancer. It occurs in most lung cancer patients, but many of them are asymptomatic, but at this time, if there are some infectious factors, it can induce the appearance of symptoms. For example, upper respiratory tract infection.
2. Radiation esophageal injury:For early stage radiation therapy patients, they usually present with mild hypopharyngeal pain and less severe symptoms.
3. Heart damage:This is a rare condition and most are pericarditis.
4. Radiation airway injury:When the dose of irradiation to the airway mucosa accumulates to a certain level, some irritating cough will occur, most of which can be tolerated and treated symptomatically.

So how do you mitigate these side effects during radiation therapy?

According to research, for these side effects that occur during radiotherapy, if we prevent them early, or intervene early, we will be able to mitigate the probability of their occurrence very well, and even if they do occur, they will be very well relieved.

1. Protect the skin in the radiotherapy field:radiotherapy2周-3After a few weeks, depending on the difference of each person's skin sensitivity, the skin will be red or dry, and in more serious cases, blisters, breakouts, and possibly ulcers will appear. The doctor will also give us some symptomatic treatments according to the severity of the skin reaction. For us, first of all, we have to protect our skin carefully, don't wear clothes that are too tight, and don't scratch the skin of the radiolucent field with our hands. When taking a shower, you should only use warm water and mild soap, and let the water gently rinse the skin at the radiation treatment site.
2. Ensure adequate sleep and rest:It is vital for patients to ensure sufficient sleep and rest. You can usually do some household chores that are within your ability, and never do any moderate to heavy physical labor.
3. Stay optimistic, to build confidence in overcoming the disease.
4. Eat a proper diet to ensure nutritional intake.If you experience a loss of appetite during the course of treatment, you can choose to eat a light and tasty diet that is easy to digest, improves appetite, and is full of nutrients.
5. Prevent upper respiratory tract infections:In daily life, pay attention to open windows and ventilation to maintain good temperature and humidity in the room. Pay attention to adding more clothes on weekdays to avoid getting cold and flu. During the flu season, avoid going to crowded places, and if you have to go to crowded places, make sure you wear a good mask.

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Welcome to the team of MDs at Tiantan Hospital, Fu Wai Hospital, Institute of Pediatrics, and Peking University Dental Hospital! We wish you good health and a happy life!

Radiotherapy is essentially radiation, a beam of intense energy produced by a radioactive substance (e.g., elemental cobalt) or special equipment (e.g., an atomic particle linear gas pedal).

Radiation can damage normal tissue adjacent to the tumor. These side effects depend on the treatmentThe size of the treatment area, the size of the dose given, and the distance of the tumor from the sensitive tissue.Sensitive tissues are those that under normal circumstances have rapid cell division, such as skin, bone marrow, hair follicles, oral mucosa, esophagus and intestines. Radiation can also damage the ovaries and testes. To prevent excessive damage to normal cells, doctors should try to perform precisely targeted radiation therapy.

Symptoms of radiation therapy depend on the site receiving the exposure and include:

• 疲乏
  

• canker sore
  

• Skin symptoms (redness, itching, peeling)
  

• Painful swallowing, inflammation of the lungs (pneumonia)
  

• neurasthenia
  

• Gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea)
  

• Urinary symptoms (frequent urination, burning sensation on urination)
  

• Decreased blood cell counts.
  

Patients may also have low blood cell counts, leading to anemia (which its causes fatigue and weakness), easy bruising or bleeding, and risk of infection. Radiation therapy for head and neck tumors often causes damage to the surface skin and mucous membranes of the mouth and throat. Physicians should identify and treat these symptoms as early as possible so that patients are relieved of discomfort and can continue to receive treatment. For example, a variety of medications can reduce diarrhea caused by abdominal radiation therapy.

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Radiotherapy, as a treatment, can have certain side effects, and today the majorTell us about the side effects that radiation therapy can cause to the skin and how to treat them at the same time.

In some patients, the skin in the area of radiation therapy darkens and peels very badly after radiation therapy, and there is also erythema.This is radiation dermatitis resulting from radiation therapy.

What is radiodermatitis?

Tumor patients in the process of long-term radiotherapy, radiation in the killing of tumor cells at the same time, the body's normal tissues will also have a certain impact, radioactive dermatitis is just a kind of radioactive damage.

Why do some patients develop radiodermatitis and others don't?

Radiation dermatitis is not only related to the type, dose, and area of exposure to radiation therapy, but also to factors such as chemicals, nutritional status, skin condition, and tumor stage.

Radiodermatitis can be categorized into 5 grades according to the condition.

The first level shows no change in the skin;

The second level is characterized by blisters, pale red spots, hair loss, dry peeling, and decreased sweating;

Grade 3 presents with tenderness, marked erythema, and moderate edema;

Grade IV presents with severe edema;

Grade 5 manifests as ulceration, bleeding, and necrosis.

How to effectively prevent radiation dermatitis during radiation treatment

Avoid using metal-containing products when radiating the skin to minimize the absorption of radiation from non-treated areas.

Try to wear loose, soft clothing to minimize friction .

Try not to wash your skin with detergents without your doctor's permission.

Avoid direct sunlight and do not scratch the skin.

What to do if you develop radiation dermatitis during radiation treatment

Typically most patients have second- or third-degree radiation dermatitis, at which point medications that reduce the inflammatory response and promote skin healing can be used.

If there is grade 3 or higher radiation dermatitis, then we first have to stop radiotherapy and wait for the inflammation and wound to heal before we can start radiotherapy.

Currently radiotherapy technology has been changing rapidly, high-end radiotherapy equipment and precise radiotherapy techniques have improved the gain ratio of radiotherapy, which can effectively protect normal tissues and reduce the occurrence of adverse reactions to radiotherapy.

(Web image, for reference only)

Hunan Medical Chat Contributing Author: Xiangya Changde Hospital Li Chen