Dermatitis From Radiotherapy for Breast Cancer: Keratin-Based Topical Cream Under Study

By: Justine Landin, PhD
Posted: Friday, March 15, 2024

Application of the keratin-based topical cream KeraStat Cream may improve skin toxicity following radiotherapy for breast cancer, according to Karen M. Winkfield, MD, PhD, of Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and colleagues. In fact, patients who used this topical cream exhibited reduced severity of radiation dermatitis and self-reported higher quality-of-life scores compared with the control group. The findings of this randomized, single-center, open-label pilot study were published in the journal Technology of Cancer Research & Treatment.

“Though efficacy measures were not powered to draw definitive conclusions, trends and clinical assessments suggest that there is a benefit of using KeraStat Cream compared to standard of care for breast cancer patients treated with radiotherapy, and a larger powered study for efficacy is warranted,” stated the study investigators.

Women with breast cancer who were set to receive adjuvant radiotherapy 4 to 6 weeks after breast-conserving surgery were enrolled in the study (n = 24). Patients were randomly assigned either to self-apply the topical cream to the irradiated area twice daily for 30 days after radiotherapy or receive standard-of-care treatment. The severity of radiation dermatitis was assessed using the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group scale.

All 13 subjects in the treatment group (100%) were assessed as being compliant, with no unexpected treatment-related adverse events reported. The rate of grade 2 radiation dermatitis was lower in the treatment group (30.8%) than in the control group (54.5%, P = .408). Upon completion of radiotherapy, the severity of skin toxicity was lower for patients given the topical cream than for those who received standard-of-care treatment (1.4). The average quality-of-life score at the end of radiotherapy (as measured by the Dermatology Life Quality Index) was higher in the treatment group (4.25) compared with the control group (6.18, P = .412).

Disclosure: The study authors reported no conflicts of interest.

Technology in Cancer Research & Treatment

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