What to know about radiation dermatitis

 Radiation dermatitis is one of the side effects of cancer treatment radiotherapy that people experience most often.

Also known as radiodermatitis, it happens when radiation therapy damages the outer layers of a person’s skin.

An estimated 95 percentTrusted Source of people who receive radiation therapy will have some form of radiation dermatitis, including redness, skin dryness, or skin peeling.

This article will explore radiation dermatitis, including what causes it, and how people can ease the symptoms at home.

What is radiation dermatitis?

Radiation dermatitis is a common side effect of radiotherapy, which is one of the most frequently used treatments for cancer.

Radiation dermatitis can vary in severity. Some people will experience mild redness and itchiness, while others may suffer painful, broken skin that is prone to infection.

The effects of radiation dermatitis typically arise within a few days or weeks of starting radiotherapy, depending on the dose of radiation, and a person’s skin sensitivity.

The symptoms only appear on the areas of skin that doctors had to expose to the radiation.

Symptoms of radiation dermatitis

Symptoms of radiation dermatitis include:

• skin redness or pinkness, known as erythema
• skin swelling, or edema
• dry, peeling skin, called dry desquamation
• skin that thins and weakens called moist desquamation
• blisters or skin ulcers

The severity of radiation dermatitis varies between people and radiation doses in the following grades:

• Grade 1, faint redness and skin peeling
• Grade 2, moderate redness and swelling, skin thinning in the skin folds
• Grade 3, skin thinning more than 1.5 centimeters across, not just on the skin folds, plus severe swelling
• Grade 4, death of skin cells and deep skin ulcers

Sometimes, these effects can also develop weeks or years after radiotherapy has finished. This is called radiation recall.

In severe cases, the symptoms can restrict movement in the affected limb, which can interfere with day-to-day activities. People may find it difficult to wear clothes on the sensitized areas.

Source: Medical News Today