I noticed in a posting that someone mentioned you should avoid the sun while taking Gleevec, why is that? I have not heard of that before and my Onc. never mentined it as something I should avoid.
My skin became a lot fairer and therefore I burn a lot easier. Wear sunscreen and do just small intervals of time in the sun. When I go to the pool/beach I usually stay under the unbrella/EZ up. I rode the lawn mower one time for about 2 hrs. and I broke out in a rash for a day or so.
My dermatologist explained that by taking "chemotherapy" drugs, cancer patients' skin ages prematurely, it thins and dries out. This thinning makes us more susceptible to the sun's harmful rays. Additionally, Gleevec makes some people's skin lose pigmentation.
