Management of acute radiotherapy induced skin reactions: a literature review

Topical application of a sandal wood oil and turmeric based cream prevents radiodermatitis in head and neck cancer patients undergoing external beam radiotherapy: a pilot study

“…[3][4][5][6][7][8][9] Generally, dermatitis manifests within a few days to weeks after the start of radiation therapy, with toxicity increasing in 2-3 weeks and accumulating across the course of radiation treatment. [3][4][5][6][7][8][9] Dermatitis varies in severity from moderate to severe erythema and moist scaling, and the signs and symptoms may include skin dryness, itching, discomfort, pain, warmth and burning, which may persist up to 4 weeks after the end of treatment ( Figure 1). …”

“…9 In the early stages, the skin changes can include oedema, erythema, dry desquamation and moist desquamation, while in the late stages the adverse effects mostly include pigmentation changes, telangiectasias, hair loss, atrophy, fibrosis and ulceration. [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] Severe acute dermatitis invariably needs cessation of the planned radiation therapy, as this can aggravate the skin damage and increase chances of topical and systemic infection, all of which can increase the morbidity and complicate the clinical condition of a patient. [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] Mechanistically, the ionizing radiation-induced skin damage can be attributed to either a direct effect or an indirect effect resulting from the hydrolysis of water and inflammation-induced secondary injury.…”

“…[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] Severe acute dermatitis invariably needs cessation of the planned radiation therapy, as this can aggravate the skin damage and increase chances of topical and systemic infection, all of which can increase the morbidity and complicate the clinical condition of a patient. [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] Mechanistically, the ionizing radiation-induced skin damage can be attributed to either a direct effect or an indirect effect resulting from the hydrolysis of water and inflammation-induced secondary injury. 11 The low linear energy transfer (LET) energy sources commonly used in cancer treatment (such as X-rays and g irradiation) predominantly mediate the damage via indirect effects, where the superfluous generation of free radicals resulting from the radiolysis of water causes damage to macromolecules such as DNA, proteins and lipids.…”

“…5 Some of the commonly used prophylactic agents include the use of steroidal, non-steroidal and metallic topical preparations and dressings. [4][5][6][7][8][9] Additionally, some centres also use Johnson's® moisturizing baby oil (JBO; Johnson & Johnson Ltd, Baddi, India) to protect the skin from the deleterious effects of radiation.…”

Topical Management of Acute Radiation Dermatitis in Breast Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…No gold-standard for the appropriate management of this side-effect exists and in most cases the decision of care is left at the discretion of the health care professional rather than clinical evidence (20,21). Clinical advice is often given based on anecdotal evidence (22).The present systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess the potential efficacy of corticosteroids in the management of RD and its impact on pain and quality of life in female breast cancer patients.…”