Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Jan 20;21(1):e132213.
doi: 10.5812/ijpr-132213. eCollection 2022 Dec.

Potential Benefits of Aloe vera and Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus Gel for Prevention of Radiation-Induced Dermatitis in Head and Neck Cancer Patients

Sry Suryani Widjaja  1 , Imam Bagus Sumantri  2 , Rusdiana Rusdiana  1 , Hendri Yo  3 , Juli Jamnasi  3 , Rudi Yo  3 , Hendrik Kho  3 , Vito Filbert Jayalie  4 , Montesque Silalahi  3 , Fauzie Siregar  3
Affiliations

Potential Benefits of Aloe vera and Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus Gel for Prevention of Radiation-Induced Dermatitis in Head and Neck Cancer Patients

Sry Suryani Widjaja et al. Iran J Pharm Res. .

Abstract

Background: The main therapy for head and neck cancer is radiation, and one of the toxic effects of radiation is radiation dermatitis. Aloe vera is a species of succulent plant of the genus Aloe, widely used in cosmetic and skin care products, as well as daikon (Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus), which is high in antioxidants.

Objectives: The present study aims to evaluate the potential benefits of Aloe vera and daikon gel combination in head and neck cancer patients to prevent radiation-induced dermatitis.

Methods: A cohort study was conducted with eligible subjects, all head and neck cancer patients receiving radiation therapy selected in consecutive sampling. Samples were divided into two groups; either received Aloe vera and daikon combination gel (study group) or baby oil (control induced dermatitis (RID) were observed.

Results: A total of 44 patients were grouped into intervention (Aloe vera-daikon gel) and control (baby oil) groups. After ten radiotherapies (RT) sessions, the intervention group had a lower percentage of grade 1 RID (35% vs. 91.7%, control: 65% grade 2 RID, P < 0.001). After 20 RT sessions, 40% had no dermatitis, while all patients had RID in the control group (P = 0.061). After 30 RT sessions, the intervention group had a lower RID grade overall (gr 0: 5%, gr 1: 85%, gr 2: 10%) compared to the control group (gr 1: 33.3%, gr 2: 54.3%, gr 3: 8.3%, P = 0.002). After 35 RT sessions, the intervention group also had a lower RID grade overall (gr 0: 5%, gr 1: 65%, gr 2: 20%, gr 3: 10%) compared to the control group (gr 1: 8.3%, gr 2: 37.5%, gr 3: 45.8%, gr 4: 8.3%, P < 0.001).

Conclusions: The combination of Aloe vera and daikon gel showed promising results in reducing the severity of radiation-induced dermatitis for head and neck cancer patients.

Keywords: Aloe vera; Head and Neck Cancer; Radiation-Induced Dermatitis; Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interests: This study was supported by TALENTA Grant, University of Sumatera Utara, with no conflict of interest. All authors declare unpaid roles for this study.

References

    1. Sung H, Ferlay J, Siegel RL, Laversanne M, Soerjomataram I, Jemal A, et al. Global Cancer Statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN Estimates of Incidence and Mortality Worldwide for 36 Cancers in 185 Countries. CA Cancer J Clin. 2021;71(3):209–49. doi: 10.3322/caac.21660. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Auperin A. Epidemiology of head and neck cancers: an update. Curr Opin Oncol. 2020;32(3):178–86. doi: 10.1097/CCO.0000000000000629. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Ferreira EB, Vasques CI, Gadia R, Chan RJ, Guerra EN, Mezzomo LA, et al. Topical interventions to prevent acute radiation dermatitis in head and neck cancer patients: a systematic review. Support Care Cancer. 2017;25(3):1001–11. doi: 10.1007/s00520-016-3521-7. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bray FN, Simmons BJ, Wolfson AH, Nouri K. Acute and Chronic Cutaneous Reactions to Ionizing Radiation Therapy. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2016;6(2):185–206. doi: 10.1007/s13555-016-0120-y. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kawamura M, Yoshimura M, Asada H, Nakamura M, Matsuo Y, Mizowaki T. A scoring system predicting acute radiation dermatitis in patients with head and neck cancer treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy. Radiat Oncol. 2019;14(1):14. doi: 10.1186/s13014-019-1215-2. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources