2023-05-05 18:00:00
Acute radiation dermatitis or radiodermatitis results in lesions due to the use of X-rays or radioactive substances. This condition can particularly affect people who undergo radiotherapy during cancer treatment.
A treatment to alleviate severe forms of acute radiation dermatitis
In the most severe cases, acute radiation dermatitis can induce significant swelling as well as painful skin ulcers. For the time being, no treatment can soothe the manifestations linked to severe radiation dermatitis.
Scientists from the Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center (MECC) located in the United States, however, have discovered that the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (SA), also called staphylococcus, is responsible for many cases of acute radiation dermatitis. Thanks to this discovery, they have developed a preventive treatment for patients undergoing radiotherapy. The findings of their studies have been published in the journal JAMA Oncology.
Staphylococcus bacteria may promote the development of acute radiation dermatitis
To prove the involvement of the staphylococcus bacterium in the onset of radiodermatitis, the researchers conducted a first study during which they recruited 76 patients who underwent radiotherapy for cancer.
During this work, bacterial cultures were taken from patients before and following radiotherapy, from three areas of the body: inside the nose, on the skin of the irradiated area and on the skin of the part of the body not exposed to radiation.
Before the start of radiotherapy, nearly 20% of patients were carriers of staphylococcus bacteria, but did not have an active infection. After treatment, the researchers found that 48% of patients who developed a severe form of acute radiation dermatitis tested positive for staph bacteria, compared to only 17% of patients who developed a mild form of the disease.
“This study has clearly shown that the staphylococcus bacterium plays a major role in the occurrence of radiodermatitis (…) The good news is that we have many tools to fight once morest this bacterium. In a second study, we tested a combination of topical antibacterial drugs that we thought were effective and easy to use”noted Dr. Beth N. McLellan, lead author of both researches and director of supportive oncodermatology at MECC.
Acute radiation dermatitis: an inexpensive antibacterial treatment
During the second study, the teams followed 77 patients undergoing radiotherapy. All participants, except two women, were affected by breast cancer. The volunteers were divided into two groups: the first received the classic MECC treatment once morest acute radiation dermatitis (classic hygiene associated with moisturizing treatment), and the second followed an antibacterial treatment, which consisted of using the chlorhexidine body wash and mupirocin nasal ointment. The treatments were tested throughout the duration of the radiotherapy.
According to the results, half of the patients who received the antibacterial treatment developed mild to moderate radiodermatitis, but none developed severe forms. In contrast, 23% of participants who received standard treatment suffered from severe acute radiation dermatitis.
“Our treatment is simple, inexpensive and easy to implement, so we believe it should be used for all patients undergoing radiotherapy (…) I expect this will completely change the protocols for people undergoing radiotherapy for breast cancer”said Dr. Beth N. McLellan.
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