Hello,
Have finished chemo, had my 1st lot of surgery and finished rads just before Christmas. Still having Herceptin and taking Tamoxifen.
I’m keen to get some holidays booked to look forward to as 2011 was a cr*p year stuck at home! Everything I’ve read says to avoid sunshine on the radiotherapy area for the first year. Why is this? Is it just that the skin is more sensitive? I really want to book a couple of beach holidays - but not if I’m going to have to wear a polo neck (OK - slight exaggeration!). Will strong suncream do…? Has anyone else been on a beach holiday a couple of months after radiotherapy.
I should mention that my skin was fine during rads - just a slight suntan - no redness or sore skin.
Thank you.
Hi Sandytoes,
I had radiotherapy a few years ago (25 lots) - finished mid October & was lying on a beach in St Lucia, mid February. My skin was absolutely fine, despite mine cracking badly at the end, but I did use a high factor suncream all over that area & sat in shade for some of the time. That said, came back looking browner & healthier than I’d looked in ages!
My onc had no problem with me going, just said to make sure I used higher factor suncream than usual. It was one of the best holidays I have been on & I am hoping if my bone mets remain stable at my next scan that we will go again!
Holidays are important, not only to look forward to, but also to recharge our flagging batteries & to make happy memories with our loved ones 
Dugsy x
Hi Sandytoes,
Sounds like I have had similar treatment to you. I had chemo until March last year, surgery in April and 20 sessions of rads from mid May to mid June. I have 2 sessions of Herceptin to go and have just started taking Tamoxifen.
My onc also told me to avoid sun exposure for a year just because the skin is more sensitive to sunburn no more than that. Like you my skin didn’t suffer through the radiotherapy and was only a bit pink by the end.
I went on holiday in September last year and sunbathed, I just used a higher factor of sunscreen. I used 20 across my chest and shoulder area as opposed to the factor 10 I would normally have used.
I would say go for it quite frankly. At the end of the day if you skin starts to get a bit sore after a couple of days you can always cover up a bit and up the sun cream.
I am off on hols again at the end of February when my Herceptin finishes and will definitely be sunbathing I can tell you!!
Sam
Crikey …hope i can sunbathe when its all over …we put in a swimming pool the year before last …I shall be swimming every decent day from May onwards if I can … can hardly avoid the sun (unless I wear a wet suit!)
Mary
(no we are not very rich …we live in France and we were left some money by a childless aunt)
I have had rads to both sides and and the square always gets browner and shows up even though you can see it normally doesn’t seem to matter how high a factor I use… Even on my last holiday this summer which was 5 years since rads on right side and 18 months on left side… Both appeared the same… But it doesn’t particularly bother me but some people are more sensitive about these things… I even sunbathed topless… Scars and all… first time I’d done it in years.
Lulu
Thanks ladies! I will get booking!! (Exciting!). X
I have just finished 15 sessions of radiotherapy for breast cancer and would like to go on holiday in 10 months. Will it be safe to sunbathe if i cover my chest area in factor 50?