Hoping an Oncology Nurse can help me with my Rehab pt!

[NurseKatie08, MSN]

Here's hoping that someone here can help me out. I'm a rehab nurse, taking care of a pt with us for rehab (for another dx), but has a hx of ovarian ca with radiation burns to her bilat groin. I'm not sure when she completed her radiation, but last night she raised questions about her burns. They don't quite look like the pictures I see when I check in my textbooks....look almost as if they are drying up--in fact she mentioned that some of the skin is starting to peel. She was wondering if this was normal or not and in general if these burns would ever heal, or if she was just going to be stuck with them--I told her that I would look into it--was hoping you guys could offer some advice. I can't seem to find answers on the likelihood of these burns healing. Thanks for any help you can provide!

[WittleOnesRN]

I would get a wound consult and have a wound nurse evaluate it.

[RN813]

If you work in a hospital setting I would contact a Radiation Oncologist or Nuc Med may be able to answer some questions. I have never worked with an ovarian ca that has received radiation. We usually see a routine such as chemo, surgery, chemo, IP chemo if necessary.

[NurseKatie08, MSN]

If you work in a hospital setting I would contact a Radiation Oncologist or Nuc Med may be able to answer some questions. I have never worked with an ovarian ca that has received radiation. We usually see a routine such as chemo, surgery, chemo, IP chemo if necessary.

Thanks for the advice--I don't work in a hospital setting (I'm in sub-acute rehab within an LTC facility). The patient is going out to see her oncologist early this week, so I'm sure she'll be able to ask her questions then. I don't know much about onc nursing so I was just curious about the burns myself. I read a bit in my med surg text about them, but didn't really find the answers to my questions. I think there is talk of her going back on chemo again.