Topical betamethasone for prevention of radiation dermatitis.
BACKGROUND
Although acute radiation dermatitis (ARD) is a common side-effect of radiotherapy (RT), currently there is no general consensus about its prevention or treatment of choice.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether prophylactic use of topical betamethasone 0.1% can prevent ARD caused by chest wall irradiation.


METHODS
Fifty-one patients who underwent modified radical mastectomy for breast cancer and were going to receive RT, were randomly assigned to receive topical betamethasone 0.1%, petrolatum or none during RT. The frequency and severity of ARD (measured using Radiation Therapy Oncology Group acute radiation morbidity scoring criteria) were recorded at the end of each week during RT and two weeks after its completion. Clinical outcomes were analyzed by relevant statistical methods.


RESULTS
All patients developed some degree of ARD, the frequency and severity of which increased with time and reached the maximum at the end of the seventh week for all groups. Patients receiving betamethasone had less severe ARD than the other two groups throughout the course of the study, but this difference was significant only at the end of the third week (p = 0.027). No significant difference was observed between the petrolatum and control arms.


CONCLUSIONS
Prophylactic and ongoing use of topical betamethasone 0.1% during chest wall RT for breast cancer delays occurrence of ARD but does not prevent it. Petrolatum has no effect on the prevention of ARD in these patients.
Omidvari
Shapour
S
Department of Radiation Oncology, Nemazee Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. omidvari@sums.ac.ir
Saboori
Hojjatollah
H
Mohammadianpanah
Mohammad
M
Mosalaei
Ahmad
A
Ahmadloo
Niloofar
N
Mosleh-Shirazi
Mohammad Amin
MA
Jowkar
Farideh
F
Namaz
Soha
S
D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001623:Betamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D004643:Emollients / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010577:Petrolatum / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011855:Radiodermatitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013909:Thorax
D004643:Emollients; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D010577:Petrolatum; D001623:Betamethasone