Effect of aloe vera (L.) Burm.f. On the prevention of dermatitis in women with breast cancer under radiotherapy

Abstract

Background: Dermatitis is one of the most common complications of radiation therapy in women with breast cancer. This problem can reduce the quality of life of these patients and may have a devastating effect on the mental state of these patients. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Aloe barbadensis Miller on the prevention of dermatitis in women with breast cancer under radiotherapy. Method: In this double-blind randomized clinical trial, 76 women who were treated with radiation therapy were selected based on inclusion criteria. They were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. Then, intervention groups and controls used an Aloe vera gel and placebo twice a day on the on the area under radiotherapy, one week before the start of radiotherapy sessions. Each day, the skin of this area was assessed and the intervention was terminated when each of the symptoms of first grade dermatitis was observed based on the RTOG criteria. The number of sessions that took long to cause dermatitis was also recorded. Results: The mean duration of onset of dermatitis based on the number of sessions was 6.45 in the control group and 12.26 in the intervention group. Comparing two groups, a significant difference was found in the meantime of dermatitis formation (P = 0.0001). Conclusion: This study showed that local use of Aloe vera gel was effective in preventing and delaying the onset of radiation-induced dermatitis. Further research is recommended in this area.