Title:Effect of Nano-Curcumin on Radiotherapy-Induced Skin Reaction in
Breast Cancer Patients: A Randomized, Triple-Blind, Placebo-Controlled
Trial
Volume: 15
Issue: 4
Author(s): Tamara Talakesh, Nasibeh Tabatabaee, Fatemeh Atoof, Akbar Aliasgharzadeh, Mostafa Sarvizade, Bagher Farhood*Masoud Najafi*
Affiliation:
- Department of Medical Physics and Radiology, Faculty of Paramedical Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences,
Kashan, Iran
- Medical Technology Research Center, Institute of Health Technology, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences,
Kermanshah, Iran
Keywords:
Breast cancer, radiation therapy, radiation-induced skin reaction, nano-curcumin, clinical trial, RTOG scale.
Abstract:
Purpose: Despite advances in medical technology, radiation-induced dermatitis occurs in
95% of cancer patients receiving radiation therapy. Currently, there is no standard and effective treatment
for the prevention or control of radiation dermatitis. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy
of nano-curcumin in alleviating the radiation-induced skin reactions (RISRs) in breast cancer patients.
Methods: A randomized, triple-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial was performed on 42 patients
with breast cancer. The patients were randomly allocated to receive radiotherapy plus placebo (control
group) and radiotherapy plus 80 mg/day nano-curcumin capsules (treatment group) up to two weeks
after the end of treatment. Then, the RISRs (graded by the radiation therapy oncology group (RTOG)
scale) and pain level of the patients were evaluated at baseline and weekly. Finally, the results were
analyzed by T-test and Pearson chi-square test.
Results: According to the RTOG scale, 0%, 14.28%, and 85.71% of patients in the control group
showed grades 0, 1, and 2 RISRs, respectively. In the treatment group, it was observed that 9.52%,
47.61%, and 42.85% of patients had grades 0, 1, and 2 RISRs, respectively. Compared to the control
group, it was found that concomitant use of the nano-curcumin supplement did not significantly reduce
the RISR severity during the first to sixth weeks (P > 0.05); however, there was a significant difference
at week 7 (P = 0.01). Moreover, the patient-reported pain, as the secondary endpoint, was significantly
reduced in the treatment group compared with the control group (P < 0.05).
Conclusions: In general, it was found that the administration of nano-curcumin could alleviate radiation-
induced skin toxicity of breast cancer patients, but this effect was not significant.
