HOUSTON –
When Lolita Smith was diagnosed with cancer, she knew she'd have a tough road ahead.
But she had no idea how treatments would affect her skin.
“It was painful. It was itchy," said Smith. "There were nights where I could not sleep because of just how uncomfortable or how much pain I would be in."
Her doctor, Amanda Olson, an oncologist at MD Anderson Cancer Center, said between 60-80% of patients will report some sort of skin problem during the course of their treatment.
Olson recommends daily cosmetic care for cancer patients, and suggests using moisturizing products with SPF.
“We all want to look our best and having a diagnosis of cancer doesn't change that,” said Dr. Olsen.
For more information on skin care while undergoing cancer treatments, you can visit MD Anderson's website.