Novel Strategy to Prevent Acute Radiation Dermatitis in High-Risk Patients With Breast Cancer

By: Emily Rhode
Posted: Thursday, May 4, 2023

Patients with breast cancer and a higher risk for radiation dermatitis undergoing breast radiotherapy had significantly improved outcomes when they were treated with a transparent film dressing called Mepitel Film compared with those who received standard care, according to Edward Chow, MBBS, of the University of Toronto, and colleagues. The assessment of this randomized, open-label, phase III trial, which included 376 patients from three centers in Canada, was published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Postmastectomy patients and patients classified as having large breasts (bra size ≥ 36 inches and/or cup size ≥ C) after lumpectomy are at higher risk for radiation dermatitis. Eligible patients were randomly assigned on a 2:1 basis to receive the transparent film dressing (n = 251) or standard care (n = 125). All patients were assessed for radiation dermatitis, moist desquamation, and acute adverse events weekly for 6 weeks and then at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after the completion of radiotherapy.

Grade 2 or 3 radiation dermatitis was significantly lower in the arm treated with Mepitel Film than in the standard-care arm (n = 39 of 251; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 11.3%–20.6% vs. n = 57 of 125; 95% CI = 36.7%–54.8%; odds ratio [OR] = 0.20; P = .0001). Moist desquamation also developed at a significantly lower rate in the arm treated with the transparent film dressing than in the standard-care arm (n = 20; 95% CI = 4.9%–12.0% vs. n = 24; 95% CI = 12.7%–27.1%; OR = 0.36). In addition, patients treated with Mepitel Film had a lower combined patient and health-care provider radiation-induced skin reaction assessment score (P < .0001). The occurrence of acute adverse events—including blistering or peeling, erythema, pigmentation, and edema—was significantly lower in the arm treated with the transparent film.

Disclosure: For full disclosures of the study authors, visit ascopubs.org.

Journal of Clinical Oncology