| Abstract
Introduction: Radiation dermatitis (RD) is a side effect of radiation
therapy (RT) which is experienced by over 90% of
patients being treated for breast cancer. The current clinical
trial was conducted to measure the preventative effects of a
boron-based gel on several different clinical outcomes (dermatitis,
erythema, dry desquamation, and moist desquamation)
after 25 radiotherapy sessions. Methods: This research
used a double-blind parallel-group design with a placebo
control (n = 76) and randomized group (n = 181), with all
participants being between 18 and 75 years old. Fifteen minutes
before each radiotherapy, participants in the intervention
group were given a gel containing 3% sodium pentaborate
pentahydrate, while those in the placebo group received
a gel with no chemical substance. Dermatitis,
erythema, dry desquamation, and moist desquamation were
compared between the 2 groups. Results: At baseline, there
were no significant differences between the groups (p >
0.05), except for body mass index. After 14 days of treatment,
dermatitis (98.7% vs. 9.9%; p < 0.001), erythema (96.1% vs.
12.2%; p < 0.001), dry desquamation (50% vs. 3.9%; p <
0.001), and moist desquamation (18.4% vs. 0.6%; p < 0.001)
were much more common in the placebo group than the
intervention group. To prevent dermatitis, erythema, dry
desquamation, and moist desquamation in 1 patient, on average,
1.1 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1–1.2), 1.2 (95% CI:
1.1–1.3), 2.2 (95% CI: 1.7–2.9), and 5.6 (95% CI: 3.8–11.0) patients
need to be treated, respectively. Conclusion: The boron-
based gel has a significant preventive effect on several
categories of RD which might be used by clinicians in breast
cancer. |