{"title":"Topical Curcumin for Prevention of Radiation-Induced Dermatitis: A Pilot Double‑Blind, Placebo‑Controlled Trial.","authors":"Behrooz Heydari, Soudabe Sheikhalishahi, Farahnaz Hoseinzade, Masood Shabani, Vahid Ramezani, Fatemeh Saghafi","doi":"10.1080/07357907.2025.2479542","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Radiation-induced dermatitis, a common radiotherapy (RT) complication, affects 95% of breast cancer patients, with 10% experiencing severe reactions. Despite advancements, radiation dermatitis remains a challenge, disrupting treatment schedules and compromising patients' quality of life. Exploring herbal compounds, particularly Curcumin, has shown promise in addressing radiation-induced dermatitis, with its non-toxic and anti-inflammatory properties offering the potential for clinical trials to prevent these reactions.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This phase II randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial focused on adult females undergoing conventional fractionated RT. The main objective was to assess the efficacy of topical Curcumin in reducing the severity of radiation dermatitis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>During a five-month study, 52 breast cancer patients completed the research. Participants were divided into Curcumin and placebo groups. In the first week, a significant difference in redness (P-value = 0.001) and irritation (P-value = 0.017) was observed, with the Curcumin group showing lower percentages. This trend continued in the second, third, and fourth weeks (P-value = 0.001). No statistical difference was found in itching (P-value = 0.446), and the occurrence of dryness (P-value = 1.000) remained constant in both groups throughout the four weeks. In pain the differences were significant in the second, third, and fourth weeks (P-value = 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The study highlights the success of a 2% Curcumin gel in reducing skin side effects during breast cancer radiation therapy, suggesting its potential to enhance patients' quality of life.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>IRCT20181208041882N3, 06/11/2020 (https://en.irct.ir/trial/49228).</p>","PeriodicalId":9463,"journal":{"name":"Cancer Investigation","volume":" ","pages":"1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Cancer Investigation","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/07357907.2025.2479542","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"ONCOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Radiation-induced dermatitis, a common radiotherapy (RT) complication, affects 95% of breast cancer patients, with 10% experiencing severe reactions. Despite advancements, radiation dermatitis remains a challenge, disrupting treatment schedules and compromising patients' quality of life. Exploring herbal compounds, particularly Curcumin, has shown promise in addressing radiation-induced dermatitis, with its non-toxic and anti-inflammatory properties offering the potential for clinical trials to prevent these reactions.
Methods: This phase II randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial focused on adult females undergoing conventional fractionated RT. The main objective was to assess the efficacy of topical Curcumin in reducing the severity of radiation dermatitis.
Results: During a five-month study, 52 breast cancer patients completed the research. Participants were divided into Curcumin and placebo groups. In the first week, a significant difference in redness (P-value = 0.001) and irritation (P-value = 0.017) was observed, with the Curcumin group showing lower percentages. This trend continued in the second, third, and fourth weeks (P-value = 0.001). No statistical difference was found in itching (P-value = 0.446), and the occurrence of dryness (P-value = 1.000) remained constant in both groups throughout the four weeks. In pain the differences were significant in the second, third, and fourth weeks (P-value = 0.001).
Conclusion: The study highlights the success of a 2% Curcumin gel in reducing skin side effects during breast cancer radiation therapy, suggesting its potential to enhance patients' quality of life.
期刊介绍:
Cancer Investigation is one of the most highly regarded and recognized journals in the field of basic and clinical oncology. It is designed to give physicians a comprehensive resource on the current state of progress in the cancer field as well as a broad background of reliable information necessary for effective decision making. In addition to presenting original papers of fundamental significance, it also publishes reviews, essays, specialized presentations of controversies, considerations of new technologies and their applications to specific laboratory problems, discussions of public issues, miniseries on major topics, new and experimental drugs and therapies, and an innovative letters to the editor section. One of the unique features of the journal is its departmentalized editorial sections reporting on more than 30 subject categories covering the broad spectrum of specialized areas that together comprise the field of oncology. Edited by leading physicians and research scientists, these sections make Cancer Investigation the prime resource for clinicians seeking to make sense of the sometimes-overwhelming amount of information available throughout the field. In addition to its peer-reviewed clinical research, the journal also features translational studies that bridge the gap between the laboratory and the clinic.