title: Barrier protective use of skin care to prevent chemotherapy-induced cutaneous symptoms and to maintain quality of life in patients with breast cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Chemotherapy with anthracyclines, taxanes, or alkylating agents often causes cutaneous side effects. Nonspecific inhibition of the proliferative activity of keratinocytes has antidifferentiation effects that lead to defects in the barrier function and, thus, to dry, itchy, and irritable skin. These cutaneous symptoms reduce the quality of life of the patients considerably. Conditioning with topical application of niacinamide uses the cytoprotective and barrier stabilizing effect of vitamin B3.
  
  
  METHODS
  A multicenter randomized crossover study investigated the influence of the test preparation on the quality of life compared to standard care for 73 patients with breast cancer undergoing adjuvant or neoadjuvant cytostatic therapy. Primary target parameter was the Dermatology Life Quality Index with its respective subscales after 6 weeks of a twice-daily application of the respective preparations. Additionally, specific symptoms such as pruritus, dryness, and irritability have been assessed using visual analog scales.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Regarding the total score of the Dermatology Life Quality Index, no relevant differences could be observed. However, the results for the "symptoms and feelings" subscale show a significant advantage in favor of the test preparation. Significant superiority of the test preparation could also be observed in the secondary target parameters, the visual analog scales (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results show for the first time a significant superiority of prophylactic application of niacinamide for maintaining quality of life while undergoing cytostatic treatment.
authors.affiliation: Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Halle (Saale), Germany.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wohlrab
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Breast Centre, University Hospital Charité Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Nikola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bangemann
authors.affiliation: Breast Centre DRK Hospital, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kleine-Tebbe
authors.affiliation: Breast Centre University of Lübeck, Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Lübeck, Germany ; Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Agaplesion Markus Hospital, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thill
authors.affiliation: Breast Centre and Clinic of Senology, Hospital Essen-Mitte, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Sherko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kümmel
authors.affiliation: Breast Centre University of Tübingen, Department of Gynaecology, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Eva-Maria
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Grischke
authors.affiliation: L'Oréal, Deutschland GmbH, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.affiliation: La Roche-Posay, Dermatological Laboratories, Asnières, France.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seite
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Charité Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Department of Hematology, Oncology and Tumour Immunology, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lüftner
keywords: anthracycline; chemotherapy; niacinamide; supportive therapy; taxane
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