Home Care After Breast Brachytherapy

Skin care is very important. After your last treatment, we will review how to change the dressing. We will give you all the skin care supplies you need.

Keep the area dry until the incision or puncture sites are closed and dry. This takes about 2-7 days. Most often, you will see new tissue forming inside the incision or pockmark or a scab covering it. You may stop the dressing changes when this happens.

Report any increased redness, tenderness, or pain at the sites. Report any non-clear drainage from the sites.

Take your temperature twice a day for 1 week. Then daily for 1 week. Call your doctor if it is 100.0 F or higher.

Skin Care Twice a Day

Twice a day, clean the site(s) with a dilute mixture of peroxide and water (mixture is good for 24 hours). Do this until the sites are closed and dry.

1. Fill the bottle to the 20 ml mark with peroxide.

2. Add normal saline to the 100 ml mark (80 ml of normal saline).

3. Place one package of cotton swabs (two in a package) into the mixture.

4. Wipe over the incision/puncture sites. Pat dry.

5. Cover with ABD pad if there is drainage.

6. Wear a surgical bra to hold the ABD pad in place.

After the Catheter Sites Have Closed

You may shower with a fragrance-free, mild soap. Ivory, Dove, Aveeno or Cetaphil are good choices.

Use a moisturizing cream that does not have any alcohol or perfume. You may need to keep using a cream for at least a year. Aveeno, Cetaphil, Lubriderm, Eucerin, and Curel are good choices. If you now use a cream that you would like to keep using, please talk to your nurse.

Activity

• There are no lifting restrictions.

• Listen to your body. If it hurts, stop the activity.

• Avoid using free weights for 1 week.

• Avoid chlorinated pools until the redness goes away.

Sun Exposure

Avoid direct sunlight to the treated area. If you cannot avoid the sun, use a sunscreen with at least 30 SPF.

Medicines

You may start taking aspirin and herbal medicines that you stopped during your treatment.

Skin Color

The incision/pockmarks will look red for at least 4 weeks. They will keep fading over time.

Follow-up Visits

• In 1-week for a nurse to check your skin.

• In 1-month with an Advanced Practice Provider, to discuss Survivorship and future follow up care.

• In 1 year, you will need a mammogram.

Supplies

• A special container for the peroxide and normal saline mixture

• Hydrogen peroxide

• Sterile ABD pads

• Sterile normal saline

• Cotton swabs

Who to Call

Radiation Oncology Clinic: (608) 263-8500.

After hours, weekends and holidays the phone will be answered by the paging operator. Ask for the Radiation Oncology doctor on call. Give your name and phone number with the area code. The doctor will call you back.

If you live out of the area, please call: 1-800-323-8942.