Topical use of olive oil preparation to prevent radiodermatitis: results of a prospective study in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients

Abstract

Background: Radiodermatitis is a common side effect of radiotherapy. However, an effective method for the prevention of radiodermatitis has not yet been identified. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of topical olive oil in the prevention of acute radiodermatitis in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) who were undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

Methods: A prospective study was conducted in patients with NPC. The patients were randomized into the intervention (n = 47) and control (n = 47) groups. Patients in the control group were treated with a general skin care regimen (placebo), whereas patients in the intervention group were treated with olive oil thrice daily for 7 weeks during chemoradiotherapy and for two weeks thereafter. On a weekly basis for a total duration of 9 weeks, a blinded observer assessed the severity of dermatitis, which was graded from 0 to 4 according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) criteria and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score.

Results: Mild reactions due to radiation (grades I and II) occurred in 93.6% of the intervention group and in 72.3% of the control group. Patients in the intervention group encountered significantly less severe dermatitis during chemoradiotherapy compared with patients in the control group (P < 0.01). A multivariate analysis revealed that the use of olive oil (P < 0.01) was significantly associated with a decrease in skin injuries.

Conclusions: The prophylactic use of olive oil was associated with a significant decrease in the intensity of acute dermatitis in NPC patients. The results of this trial indicate that olive oil holds promise as a safe and effective prophylactic treatment for radiodermatitis.

Keywords: Radiodermatitis; nasopharyngeal carcinoma; olive oil.

Figures

Figure 1

Use of olive oil was associated with a significant decrease in the intensity of acute dermatitis in NPC patients. From the first to the third week, radioactive dermatitis was not observed in either the olive oil group or the control group. From the fourth to the fifth week, radioactive dermatitis was noted in some of the patients; however, the grade of inflammation in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group (P < 0.01). From the sixth to the seventh week, radioactive dermatitis was noted in all of the patients. However, the grade of inflammation in the experimental group was not as low as that in the control group (P < 0.01). From the eighth to the ninth week, patients in both the olive oil-treated group and the control group began to recover. However, the recovery level of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.01).

Figure 2

The average RTOG score of the olive oil group was higher than that of the control group. From the fourth to the sixth week and the seventh to the ninth week. The average RTOG score of the olive oil group was higher than that of the control group (P < 0.01).

Figure 3

The average VAS score of the olive oil group was lower than that of the control group (P < 0.01).