Radiodermatitis prevention with sucralfate in breast cancer: fundamental and clinical studies

• Published in: Supportive care in cancer Vol. 19; no. 1; pp. 57 - 65
• Main Authors: Falkowski, Sabrina, Trouillas, Patrick, Duroux, Jean-Luc, Bonnetblanc, Jean-Marie, Clavère, Pierre
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 2011; Springer; Springer Nature B.V; Springer Verlag (Germany)
• Subjects: Administration, Cutaneous; Aged; Antioxidants; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms; Breast Neoplasms - radiotherapy; Cancer; Clinical trials; Drug therapy; Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy - methods; Female; Free Radical Scavengers; Free Radical Scavengers - pharmacology; Free Radical Scavengers - therapeutic use; Human health and pathology; Humans; Life Sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Nuclear radiation; Nursing; Nursing Research; Oncology; Oncology, Experimental; Original Article; Pain Medicine; Prevention; Quality of Life; Radiation Dosage; Radiation therapy; Radiodermatitis; Radiodermatitis - prevention & control; Rehabilitation Medicine; Rites, ceremonies and celebrations; Side effects; Skin; Skin diseases; Spectrophotometry; Spectrophotometry - methods; Sucralfate; Sucralfate - pharmacology; Sucralfate - therapeutic use; Toxicity; Vitamin E; Vitamin E - pharmacology; Sucralfate; Radiation skin toxicity; Radiodermatitis; Spectrophotometry; Antioxidant
• ISSN: 0941-4355; 1433-7339
• DOI: 10.1007/s00520-009-0788-y

Background
Acute radiodermatitis induced by radiotherapy may affect the quality of life and in some cases requires withholding treatment. The present study concerns the protective effect of a 1% sucralfate lotion. We propose joint fundamental and clinical points of view.
Methods
The free radical scavenging capacity of sucralfate was measured with electron spin resonance and was supported by theoretical calculations. The clinical effects of sucralfate lotion were evaluated on 21 women treated for breast cancer. Breast skin response was evaluated at 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 Gy, according to (1) the radiation therapy oncology group (RTOG) acute toxicity scale and (2) spectrophotometry data obtained with X-Rite SP60.
Results and conclusions
Sucralfate appeared as a relatively poor free radical scavenger (compared to reference compounds such as vitamin E). The sucralfate-containing lotion used in the present study did not provide systematic radiodermatitis prevention. Spectrophotometric evaluation of the skin response to irradiation appeared to be a very effective and more sensitive technique than the RTOG scale. Its use should be recommended to study cutaneous radioprotective action.