The effects of carbocisplatin and radiation on skin flap survival

Carbocisplatin is used as an inductive chemotherapeutic agent prior to irradiation in the treatment of head and neck cancers. Controversy exists whether carbocisplatin sensitizes normal epithelial tissues, including skin, to radiation. The combined effect of radiation and carbocisplatin on the survival of skin flaps was studied in an experimental model using dorsal flaps in Sprague-Dawley rats. Skin flaps were created 6 weeks after exposure to irradiation and carbocisplatin. Flap survival was assessed 7, 14, and 21 days after the flaps were initially created. Exposure of the flaps to irradiation alone, carbocisplatin alone, combined irradiation and carbocisplatin, or combined irradiation and fractionated carbocisplatin did not result in any significant decrease in flap survival when compared with untreated animals.