{"entity":{"id":"radiation-dermatitis","kind":"term","name":"Radiation dermatitis (skin reaction)","aka":[],"tldr":"Redness, dryness, itching and sometimes peeling of the skin in the treated area, building up over the course and settling a few weeks after it ends. Severe in a minority, worst in skin folds and after chemotherapy.","summary":"Radiation damages the dividing cells of the skin's basal layer, producing erythema in the second or third week, dry then moist desquamation at higher doses, and rarely ulceration. Modern planning, bolus decisions and skin-sparing techniques have reduced severe reactions; care is gentle washing, moisturisers, topical steroids for itch and dressings for moist areas, with barrier films and Mepitel under study. Late changes include pigmentation, telangiectasia and fibrosis.","asOf":"2026-09-17","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiation_burn","links":[{"label":"Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiation_burn"},{"label":"Cancer Research UK: side effects of breast radiotherapy","url":"https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/breast-cancer/treatment/radiotherapy/side-effects"}],"tags":["radiation-wave1"],"related":[],"cancers":["head-and-neck","breast-hr-positive","anal","tnbc"],"sections":[],"technologies":["radioprotectors","imrt-igrt"],"targets":[],"drugs":[],"companies":[],"institutions":[],"pathways":[],"terms":[],"trials":[],"people":[],"bottlenecks":[],"keyPapers":[],"journals":[],"dependsOn":[],"notes":["Breast radiotherapy: Cancer Research UK says the skin can redden or darken and feel sore, that it may break down towards the end of treatment especially under the breast, that creams and dressings are given, and that skin usually starts to improve 3 to 4 weeks after treatment; some darkening can be permanent."],"category":"Side effects"},"route":"/terms/radiation-dermatitis/","neighbours":{"cancer":[{"id":"anal","kind":"cancer","name":"Anal cancer (squamous cell carcinoma)","route":"/cancers/anal/"},{"id":"head-and-neck","kind":"cancer","name":"Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma","route":"/cancers/head-and-neck/"},{"id":"breast-hr-positive","kind":"cancer","name":"HR-positive / HER2-negative breast cancer","route":"/cancers/breast-hr-positive/"},{"id":"tnbc","kind":"cancer","name":"Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC)","route":"/cancers/tnbc/"}],"technology":[{"id":"imrt-igrt","kind":"technology","name":"IMRT / IGRT (modern external beam)","route":"/technologies/imrt-igrt/"},{"id":"radioprotectors","kind":"technology","name":"Radioprotectors and normal-tissue sparing drugs","route":"/technologies/radioprotectors/"}]}}