International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics
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Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. · Aug 2019
Quantification of Acute Skin Toxicities in Patients With Breast Cancer Undergoing Adjuvant Proton versus Photon Radiation Therapy: A Single Institutional Experience.
Acute skin toxicity in the form of radiation dermatitis (RD) or skin hyperpigmentation (SH) is a common problem experienced by patients undergoing breast irradiation. Proton radiation has been thought to deliver higher doses to skin compared with photon radiation because of differences in the physical properties between photons and protons; however, limited literature exists directly comparing toxicity outcomes. ⋯ In a comparison with patients receiving photon radiation, a significantly higher rate of grade ≥2 RD was observed in patients undergoing proton radiation, with very low rates of grade 3 toxicity in both groups. Rates of SH did not differ significantly between modalities. Women should be counseled regarding the possibility of increased grade 2 toxicities, although this might present a dosimetric advantage for physicians when treating patients in the postmastectomy setting or when skin was involved on presentation.