| Joined: Jan 2014 Posts: 7 Member | OP Member Joined: Jan 2014 Posts: 7 | My IMRT ended on 3/25/14. My neck and right cheek were bright red on the last day. Now they are getting weepy spots and blisters. Any suggestions to make them heal faster?
Karalee 10/18/13 SCC Stage IV, T4aN2bM0, right cheek, sinus cavity, upper jaw bone, 1 lymph node, HPV Neg, Non Smoker, Age 62 11/18/13 Surgery - composite resection right retromolar trigone and right selective neck dissection plus reconstruction, margin <0.1 cm 11/20/13 Emergency surgery for ecchymosis of flap 2/12/14 Start IMRT, 30 treatments ended 3/25/14 | | | | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 | Domeboro soak. Comes in a powder form. You soak gauze with some powder in water and place them on the blistered areas. Heals quickly.
SCC Stage IV, BOT, T2N2bM0 Cisplatin/5FU x 3, 40 days radiation Diagnosis 07/21/03 tx completed 10/08/03 Post Radiation Lower Motor Neuron Syndrome 3/08. Cervical Spinal Stenosis 01/11 Cervical Myelitis 09/12 Thoracic Paraplegia 10/12 Dysautonomia 11/12 Hospice care 09/12-01/13. COPD 01/14 Intermittent CHF 6/15 Feeding tube NPO 03/16 VFI 12/2016 ORN 12/2017 Cardiac Event 06/2018 Bilateral VFI 01/2021 Thoracotomy Bilobectomy 01/2022 Bilateral VFI 05/2022 Total Laryngectomy 01/2023
| | | | Joined: Jan 2014 Posts: 7 Member | OP Member Joined: Jan 2014 Posts: 7 | Domeboro worked great! Thanks for your help.
Karalee 10/18/13 SCC Stage IV, T4aN2bM0, right cheek, sinus cavity, upper jaw bone, 1 lymph node, HPV Neg, Non Smoker, Age 62 11/18/13 Surgery - composite resection right retromolar trigone and right selective neck dissection plus reconstruction, margin <0.1 cm 11/20/13 Emergency surgery for ecchymosis of flap 2/12/14 Start IMRT, 30 treatments ended 3/25/14 | | | | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 | Great news! I'm glad you got some relief.
SCC Stage IV, BOT, T2N2bM0 Cisplatin/5FU x 3, 40 days radiation Diagnosis 07/21/03 tx completed 10/08/03 Post Radiation Lower Motor Neuron Syndrome 3/08. Cervical Spinal Stenosis 01/11 Cervical Myelitis 09/12 Thoracic Paraplegia 10/12 Dysautonomia 11/12 Hospice care 09/12-01/13. COPD 01/14 Intermittent CHF 6/15 Feeding tube NPO 03/16 VFI 12/2016 ORN 12/2017 Cardiac Event 06/2018 Bilateral VFI 01/2021 Thoracotomy Bilobectomy 01/2022 Bilateral VFI 05/2022 Total Laryngectomy 01/2023
| | | | Joined: Oct 2013 Posts: 559 Likes: 1 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) Joined: Oct 2013 Posts: 559 Likes: 1 | It won't help to know this now, but did you use Aquaphor during radiation treatment?
Tony
Tony, 69, non-smoker, aerobatics pilot, bridge player/teacher, avid dancer (ballroom, latin, swing, country)
09/13 SCC, HPV 16, tonsillectomy, T2N0. 11/13 start rads, no chemo 12/13 taste gone, dry mouth, 02/14 hair slowly returning 05/14 taste the same, dry sinuses, irrigation helps. 01/15 food taste about 60% returned, dry sinuses are worse in winter. 12/20 no more sinus problems, taste pretty good
| | | | Joined: Jan 2014 Posts: 7 Member | OP Member Joined: Jan 2014 Posts: 7 | I tried Aquaphor for a while and then switched to Curel Intensive Healing which seemed to work better.
Karalee 10/18/13 SCC Stage IV, T4aN2bM0, right cheek, sinus cavity, upper jaw bone, 1 lymph node, HPV Neg, Non Smoker, Age 62 11/18/13 Surgery - composite resection right retromolar trigone and right selective neck dissection plus reconstruction, margin <0.1 cm 11/20/13 Emergency surgery for ecchymosis of flap 2/12/14 Start IMRT, 30 treatments ended 3/25/14 | | | | Joined: Jul 2012 Posts: 3,267 Likes: 1 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Jul 2012 Posts: 3,267 Likes: 1 | I used Aquaphor, and then cetaphil, which I found less greasy. I never needed anything further than this.
10/09 T1N2bM0 Tonsil 11/09 Taxo Cisp 5-FU, 6 Months Hosp 01/11 35 IMRT 70Gy 7 Wks 06/11 30 HBO 08/11 RND PNI 06/12 SND PNI LVI 08/12 RND Pec Flap IORT 12 Gy 10/12 25 IMRT 50Gy 6 Wks Taxo Erbitux 10/13 SND 10/13 TBO/Angiograph 10/13 RND Carotid Remove IORT 10Gy PNI 12/13 25 Protons 50Gy 6 Wks Carbo 11/14 All Teeth Extract 30 HBO 03/15 Sequestromy Buccal Flap ORN 09/16 Mandibulectomy Fib Flap Sternotomy 04/17 Regraft hypergranulation Donor Site 06/17 Heart Attack Stent 02/19 Finally Cancer Free Took 10 yrs
| | | | Joined: Jul 2009 Posts: 1,406 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) Joined: Jul 2009 Posts: 1,406 | For me the best was silver sulfadiazine. Thick white goop but it did the trick.
Congrats on getting through it!
David 2 SCC of occult origin 1/09 (age 55)| Stage III TXN1M0 | HPV 16+, non-smoker, moderate drinker | Modified radical neck dissection 3/09 | 31 days IMRT finished 6/09 | Hit 14 years all clear in 6/23 | Radiation Fibrosis Syndrome kicked in a few years after treatment and has been progressing since | Prostate cancer diagnosis 10/18
| | | | Joined: Mar 2014 Posts: 31 Contributing Member (25+ posts) | Contributing Member (25+ posts) Joined: Mar 2014 Posts: 31 | During treatment (18 rads down, 15 to go) I'm using a cream called Alra. It contains aloe gel, soluble collagen, vitamin E, lanolin and allantoin. It's expensive, (I paid $12 for a 4 fluid ounce bottle) but it gives good relief. I'm going to look into the Domeboro as well. Thanks for the tip.
Karalee - hang in there and good luck! Thanks for bringing this topic up - I learned something that may well help me out and I greatly appreciate it.
Liam
2/2014 SCC T4aN2bM0 HPV+ Tonsil/BOT 3/3/2014 PEG and port 3/10/2014 Chemoradiation therapy begins 260 mg Cisplatin x3, 2.12 Gy rads x33 4/23/2014 Final Cisplatin infusion 4/25/2014 Final radiation treatment 7/17/2014 PET scan. Lymph nodes clear. Primary tumor reduced both size and SUV (borderline hypermetabolic) so it's inconclusive. 8/2/2014 PEG tube removed. 11/24/2014 Saw MO, RO, ENT, and Head & Neck Surg. over past 10 days - all agree no recurrence but enhanced surveillance will continue. | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 | When using the creams and ointments, never put them on right before you go for treatment. It can interfere with rads.
When applying the cream, always pat it on gently. Never rub it in. Allow the cream to soak in. When the skin has open oozing sores, lightly pat the cream on and place a nonstick gauze pad on top to help the wound stay clean. Never let the shower run full stream on open, oozing sores but its ok to slowly pour warm water over the area.
Hang in there!!! ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive | | |
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