I totally understand how you feel. I went through radiation a year ago and was nervous about the same thing. I used a gentle, fragrance-free lotion that my oncologist recommended. I was applying it regularly every few hours.

I had burns, yes. And I do think that is the norm. My whole armpit area turned black and that skin eventually sloughed off in the shower in sort-of soft rolls of skin, leaving very pink (I am Caucasian) new skin that had burn edges until it all healed. My radiologist gives her patients a Calendula cream moisturizer, encourages its frequent usage, and it is AMAZING. I even gave a leftover tube of that to a friend who was going to the Caribbean and worried an]bout sunburn, and she raved about it, too. The burns are not fun, but then, none of this is fun. It is just one more badge of accomplishment to endure and eventually have behind you.