Hello,
Staying safe in the sun is really important for everyone, as over recent years we have seen an increase in skin cancers, and whilst this is still one of the most curable cancer sadly some people do die from the disease.
When a person has been treated for breast cancer there are certain extra precautions to take when in the sun;
During chemotherapy try not to sit in the direct sunlight for very long, avoid the midday time when the sun is at its hottest, cover the skin up with a high factor sun cream and where long sleeve tops. Chemotherapy makes the skin more sensitive, and therefore more prone to sun burn.
During radiotherapy, keep the area being treated covered up. Talk with your radiotherapy department about what factor suncream they advice, most will say factor 15 and above for this country and higher if traveling abroad. It is best not to apply suncream to the area being treated, but to keep this area completely covered from the sun.
For those on hormone treatments, it is not known that hormone treatments make the skin sensitive. Good skin care is advised, wearing only factor 15 and above in the UK and higher when traveling abroad. For many people on hormone treatments hot flushes can be a problem, and the hot weather can make these worse. Wearing loose cotton clothing, drinking plenty of water and keeping out of direct sunlight can help.
There are many different skin types and some are more sensitive than others to the sun, and therefore more likely to burn in the sun. Boots the high street chemist have excellent trained staff to assess a person’s skin type, and advise about suncream both for the UK and when traveling abroad.
As a general rule I would always suggest going higher rather than lower in suncream factors, having a sunburn is really not worth the risks involved.
Enjoy the good weather, long may it last!!
Tara
Clinical Nurse Specialist
