Practical recommendations for the management of radiodermatitis: on behalf of the ESTRO RTT committee

Abstract

Background: There is a substantial body of literature addressing the prevention, acute management, and follow-up care of radiation induced dermatitis (RID). The quality and application of this evidence, however, is inconsistent and its interpretation varies widely. While several national guidelines have been developed to standardise practices locally, many of these resources are not publicly available. On behalf of the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) Radiation Therapist (RTT) Committee, an international writing group consisting of 12 experts from radiotherapy and two patient representatives composed a recommendation document for the management of RID.

Main body: The consensus for these recommendations was generated based on available international guidelines, and supplemented with evidence-based review articles on the topic. These recommendations focus on the prevention and practical management of early stage RID by avoiding skin trauma and maintaining hygiene. Addressing pain and inflammation in higher grades is also covered. The current literature refutes some of the traditional recommendations, especially restricting washing as well as the use of deodorant or the potential dose build-up of lotions which has been included and rectified in recent guidelines. In addition, the importance of grading the severity, including a baseline assessment is presented. The benefit of clear, and non-contradictory communication within the multidisciplinary team as well as patient involvement (e.g. PROMs or similar) is highlighted. Furthermore, the importance of recognising different skin types and skin tones, and the impact on how RID changes these in their appearance is stressed.

Conclusion: This document provides practical, actionable recommendations for the clinical management of RID, referencing the supporting literature. These recommendations have, however, identified a lack of high-level evidence, especially for agent-specific recommendations.

Keywords: Guidelines; Radiation-induced dermatitis; Radiodermatitis; Skin.

Fig. 1

a Position of multipotent stem cells in the bulge compartment in the hair follicle root sheath. Derived lineages migrate to the skin surface to regenerate epidermal cells. b Regeneration of the epidermis in an area of epidermolysis. Islands of regrowth (arrows) derived from the stem cells of the hair follicles gradually coalesce

Fig. 2

Examples of the different grades of radiodermatitis