Looking for complementary alternatives to CTCAE for skin toxicity in radiotherapy: quantitative determinations

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Dermatology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Radiotherapy (RT) is a critical cancer treatment.
• Cutaneous toxicity is a common RT side effect, often subjectively assessed using scales like CTCAE.
• Objective evaluation of radiodermatitis is needed to improve patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an objective, non-invasive method for evaluating radiodermatitis.
• To utilize laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) for real-time assessment of cutaneous microcirculation changes during RT.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 1,824 measurements using LDF.
• Baseline cutaneous microcirculation measurements taken before RT.
• Repeated measurements in irradiated and non-irradiated contralateral areas throughout RT.

Main Results:

• A dose-dependent increase in blood flow was observed in the irradiated area.
• No significant blood flow changes were noted in the non-irradiated area.
• Post-treatment, blood flow decreased, trending back to baseline.

Conclusions:

• Laser Doppler flowmetry provides an objective assessment of early radiodermatitis.
• LDF can inform strategies for preventing radiation dermatitis, such as personalized RT fractionation.
• This approach can reduce radiation-related morbidity and enhance patient quality of life.