Cancer Treatment Options Forum - April 10th, 2011 - 4 Comments
I want to go tanning but am I also at increased risk for skin cancer since I had radiation/cancer?
I’m a recent cervical cancer survivor…
But I want to go tanning. Not for cosmetic reasons…because I have keratosis pilaris (a minor skin condition) and psoriasis (minor but annoying)…AND I really want to go tanning just once a week because it helps my skin tremendously.
I don’t burn, even the radiation therapy I had didn’t burn me like it does to most of the other people. I just got like a light sunburn by the end of it (8 weeks, 5 days a week), also dry skin.
I want to go tanning, I would wear something to cover the radiated area because my skin has been thru enough already. But I don’t want to go tanning if I am at increased risk of skin cancer since I had cancer and radiation/chemo for that cancer.
Thanks!
Oh PS My dermatologist suggested tanning once a week for my skin condition, it’s not a matter of self-diagnosis/treating.
My dermatologist said that tanning for 10 minutes once a week doesn’t increase risk of cancer but I am going to ask my oncologist too…I am doing everything to avoid cancer. I don’t want to do it if I am risking anything.
Talk to your oncologist about this one as well as your dermatologist.
Your chemo may affect this too, dependant on what you were on.
I know I was told to avoid sun exposure as much as possible while on chemo as the one I was on made me more prone to damage.
Once you hear both sides of the story, you will be able to make an informed decision that is right for you.
I would avoid it, already radiation exposure the treatment you went through is enough to cause cancer in cancer patients so why risk it?
I know you are young but you are rolling a dice that could come up craps. If I were you I would seriously do things that reduce cancer instead of causing it.
But that is just me, each person must weigh what they are willing to put up with their actions. To people that rob banks they know they risk jail but they do it anyway. So, what can you put up with because everything you do has consequences.
Do yourself a favor and have your Dermatologist talk to your Radiologist. Together they can work out some compromise on tanning treatment. Every time we go back for a check-up (I’m throat cancer) they X-Ray us again-right? An X-Ray has to be way more powerful than a tanning bed, so I wouldn’t sweat the extra rads from a tan if i got the OK from my Doctors.
Well sitting outside for 10 minutes, once a week isn’t going to hurt you. KP is NOT going to be improved with sun exposure. That clears with persistent exfoliating. My daughter and sister have it. Sunlight may or may not help with psoriasis, depending on the type, your age and whether or not you had prior treatments. Being as you JUST finished up with cancer treatments, I would use other means to clear up my skin. I would be more concerned with my health, not getting a tan for summer. When you have cancer, you will never be completely "cured." You may be NED, as I have been for about a year now. If I was deemed cured, I wouldn’t be getting mris every 3 months still.