Radiology Commons^™

Prevention Of Radiation-Induced Skin Reactions In Breast Cancer External Irradiation, Cathy Ammerman

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Radiation dermatitis is a common side effect of external beam radiation therapy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of applying an aloe vera based skin gel to the target area skin in preventing the development of radiation dermatitis to postlumpectomy/ mastectomy patients receiving external beam radiation therapy in an ambulatory radiation-oncology clinic in the southeastern region of the United States. In this descriptive correlational study, a convenience sample of willing participants (n=18) was followed from initial treatment through the one-month follow-up examination to assess the intensity of their skin reaction. Five research questions were examined pertaining …