title: Protocol Paper: A Randomized Trial of 2 Creams in the Skin Care of Patients Receiving Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer in the Tropics.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nurses working in a northern Australia Radiation Therapy Unit advise all patients undergoing radiation therapy to use a readily available nonprescription moisturizing cream to minimize the severity of radiation skin reactions. However, patients report that the cream is thick and difficult to use in the humid tropical climate, and nurses anecdotally suspect an increase in severe skin reactions during the summer months.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This article presents the protocol for a randomized controlled trial that addressed a lack of evidence pertaining to the use of topical creams to prevent acute radiation skin reactions in a tropical climate.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two skin care creams were used in the trial. The trial's primary outcome measure was the incidence of moist desquamation during treatment and 1 month after treatment completion. The secondary outcome was the participants' acceptance of the allocated cream at similar time points.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Recruitment to the trial has been completed. Findings of the research will be reported in a separate publication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This article presents the protocol for a randomized controlled trial that addresses a lack of evidence pertaining to the use of topical creams to prevent acute radiation skin reactions in a tropical climate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This protocol can be adapted by other researchers conducting practice-based research.
authors: Author Affiliations: Cancer Clinical Trials (Ms Heyer) and Radiation Therapy Unit (Ms Laffin), Townsville Cancer Centre, Townsville Hospital; Tropical Health Research Unit for Nursing and Midwifery Practice, Townsville Hospital and Health Service, and School of Nursing, Midwifery and Nutrition, James Cook University (Dr Smyth, Ms Heyer and Ms Laffin); and School of Nursing, Midwifery and Nutrition, James Cook University (Dr Smyth), Townsville, Queensland; and School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine (Signadou Campus), Australian Catholic University, Australian Capital Territory (Prof Gardner), Australia.
authors: Elizabeth
authors: E
authors: Heyer
authors: Wendy
authors: W
authors: Smyth
authors: Nadine
authors: N
authors: Laffin
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Gardner
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000451:nursing; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011855:Radiodermatitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000451:nursing; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D017592:Skin Care / Q000379:methods*; D063465:Skin Cream / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*