Executive summary

This study from Taiwan reported acute radiation dermatitis of 42 patients with breast cancer who received adjuvant hypofractionated PBT of 26 GyRBE in five fractions or 40.05 or 43.5 GyRBE in 15 fractions for the whole breast/chest wall with or without nodal irradiation. Twenty-two (52.4%) and 20 (47.6%) patients had grade 1 and 2 dermatitis, respectively. There was no grade 3 dermatitis observed. The authors stated that their results were better than those of most studies that reported grade 2 (median, 67%) and grade 3 (median, 5%) dermatitis. In addition, patients who received conventional fractionated PBT without PBS, the rates of grade 2–3 dermatitis ranged from 71% to 100% (median, 82%). The corresponding rates ranged from 49% to 80% (median, 66.5%) in patients who underwent conventional fractionated PBT using PBS. Therefore, hypofractionated PBS PT may have the potential to reduce acute radiation dermatitis compared to conventional fractionated non-PBS therapy.

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