Effects of radiotherapy on the mechanical properties of human skin

A portable apparatus that measures the elastic properties of human skin in vivo was used in a study involving 34 female patients being treated for carcinoma of the breast. Two skin areas were stretched: one at a site on the breast in the irradiated area and the other at a site on the nonirradiated contralateral breast. The mechanical tests on the skin were carried out before radiotherapy and then monthly after the treatment had ceased. It was found that the clinical and biological response of skin to radiation, particularly in fractionated treatments, depends on both the dose and the time. In particular, a three fractions a week treatment regime is preferable to five fractions a week.