How To Treat A Radiation Burn

A radiation burn is an adverse side effect that occurs on the skin of a patient undergoing treatment that includes radiation therapy. Radiation therapy describes a process where radioactive substances or high-energy beams are utilized to damage or destroy malignant cells in a patient's body. While radiation treatment sessions are usually spaced from a couple of days up to over a week apart, the cells making up the skin that has been exposed do not have enough time to repair themselves before the next session. After several sessions of radiation, a patient's skin experiences an imbalance in the ratio of skin cells being lost and the newly produced skin cells. The patient's skin in the exposed area usually peels excessively and may form blisters or ulcers.