Will Radiation Treatment Burn My Skin?

— -- Question: Will my skin burn from the radiation treatment I get for breast cancer?

Answer: For breast cancer, in the majority of cases there usually is a little bit of what we call tanning or slight reddening and dryness of the skin, a lot like a mild suntan. There is, however, one kind of breast cancer that actually involves breast cancer cells in the skin. That's called inflammatory breast cancer, and when you do have that it's our role to give a full dose of radiation to your skin, and for that specific kind of breast cancer, yes, the skin will temporarily look as if it has a severe sunburn.

Next: Will Radiation Make My Hair Fall Out?

Previous: Is Radiation Therapy Ever Given Twice In One Day?