ABSTRACT
The presence of a wound that refuses to heal is something that patients simply cannot ignore. Every patient with a fungating wound will be anxious about leakage, odour and their appearance, either because of a bulky dressing or because of a visible lesion. The management of the lesions needs to be planned individually and depends partly on where the patient is being cared for and how frequently the wound needs attention. Consider the impact of the type of lesion on the patient's selfesteem and how intimacy between the patient and their partner may be affected. Charcoal dressings and dressings that seal the edges of wounds are helpful. Local infection is almost unavoidable as a warm, moist, protein-rich exudate provides perfect culture conditions for bacteria. Most local skin lesions are associated with breast cancer and lung cancer, and the usual sites where they occur are either on the chest wall or on the scalp.
