Women undergoing radiotherapy for breast cancer can use deodorant without fear of increased underarm skin reaction, pain, itching or burning, research suggests.
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From Medical Express
Aluminum-containing deodorant safe for patients with breast cancer undergoing radiotherapy
the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:
According to a recent study published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, researchers from Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia, have found that women undergoing radiotherapy for breast cancer can use deodorant without the deodorant increasing risk of underarm skin reactions, pain, itching, or burning.
Most women undergoing radiation therapy will develop a skin reaction, but researchers sought to investigation whether deodorant increased that risk.
For the study, researchers enrolled 333 women with breast cancer undergoing similar radiotherapy regimens and assigned them to use soap, aluminum-containing deodorant and soap, or non-aluminum-containing deodorant and soap.
Results showed that there were similar levels of underarm skin reaction, burning, itching, and pain across all three groups, but participants who used aluminum-containing deodorant experienced 85% less sweating.
Women are still advised not to use deodorant while receiving radiation treatment, but now these findings suggest that deodorant use during radiotherapy does not exacerbate underarm skin reactions.
