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Prospective Study of Breast Radiation Dermatitis
Leah Drost1, Nim Li1, Danny Vesprini1
1Department of Radiation Oncology, Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Clinical Breast Cancer
|April 7, 2018
Summary
Breast cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy often experience radiation dermatitis. This side effect peaks two weeks after treatment completion, regardless of radiation technique or dosage, highlighting the need for close monitoring post-therapy.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Radiation Oncology
- Dermatology
Background:
- Radiotherapy (RT) for breast cancer offers clear benefits but causes significant side effects.
- Radiation dermatitis negatively impacts patient quality of life and can lead to treatment interruptions.
- Understanding the trends and peak toxicity of radiation dermatitis is crucial for patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prospectively monitor breast radiation dermatitis in patients undergoing RT.
- To identify the timing and trends of radiation dermatitis toxicity.
- To determine the peak occurrence of radiation dermatitis following treatment.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study involving weekly patient assessments (in-person or telephone) for skin reactions.
- Utilized the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 4.03 for toxicity grading.
- Stratified patients based on RT technique and dosage for comparative analysis.
Main Results:
- 148 patients with at least two skin assessments were analyzed.
- The majority received 2-field tangential RT (64.2%) at 5000 cGy in 25 fractions.
- Peak Grade 2 (61.9%) and Grade 3 (8.3%) CTCAE toxicity occurred approximately 2 weeks post-RT, irrespective of RT technique or dose.
Conclusions:
- Breast radiation dermatitis typically peaks about 2 weeks after the completion of radiotherapy.
- RT technique and dosage did not significantly influence the timing or severity of radiation dermatitis in this study.
- Close monitoring of radiation dermatitis is recommended, particularly in the two weeks following RT completion.
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