Cinco Vidas

Going through radiation therapy for breast cancer? How about a glass of red wine to toast your strength and courage? According to Italian researchers, in the August issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics, it may help reduce the skin damage often caused by radiation.

As you may know, radiation can often leave the skin red, irritated, and burned. Sometimes the wounds take several weeks to heal. Most current medications that help prevent skin problems can also reduce the effectiveness of radiation. (more…)

Let’s address the difficult problem of radiation burns. The skin is so fragile, tender and inflamed, that even clothing rubbing against it can be too painful. Radiation burns (or radiation dermatitis) can range from very mild to serious, and involve damage to the outer layer of skin (or occasionally, the inner tissue) due to the high frequency energy of ionizing radiotherapy used for cancer treatment. (more…)