Radiotherapy dermatitis
Dott. Nicola Alessandro Iacovelli
Oncologist Radiotherapist INT
DERMATITIS CAUSED BY RADIOTHERAPY
According to recent literature data, 50% of patients diagnosed with cancer undergo radiotherapy treatment; 95% of these develop skin reactions characterized mainly by swelling, redness, pigmentation, fibrosis, ulceration, pain, burning and itching.
The occurrence of the skin lesions is related with the onset of a series of complications, including a delay in the ongoing treatment, the worsening of painful forms, a negative psychological impact on the patients and a general deterioration of its quality of life.
The importance of preventing or slowing down the onset and the intensity of injuries is fundamental both to counteract the side effects of the acute phase, and to reduce the risk of the occurrence of chronic injuries which are currently irreversible.
Radiotherapy and cancer
It is estimated that, every year, over 350,000 new patients with cancer are registered in Italy, and of these, 50% will undergo radiotherapy, an extremely useful treatment for many forms of cancer. Radiotherapy consists of an emission of radiation, basically X-rays, which are used to target cancer cells, trying to preserve healthy cells as much as possible.
For this reason, before undergoing the actual radiotherapy treatment, the patients undergo what is called “centering” process.
This is a very important phase of the therapy because it allows, through a Computed Tomography – CT scan, to precisely locate the position of the tumor and therefore to direct the beam of rays with extreme precision on the area where the mass of diseased cells is founded. The availability of sophisticated equipment in some hospitals, allows to perform radiotherapy treatment under the guidance of images and with a modulation of the beam of rays, based on the volume of the tumor, thus conveying more radiation on the tumor mass and shielding the healthy tissues.
Depending on the characteristics of the tumor, the radiotherapist oncologist will prescribe a different intensity of the radiation dose, expressed in the unit of measurement called gray – Gy.
It is the amount of dose administered that determines the side effects, their intensity and the time of onset, especially for what concerns skin lesions.
WHEN DO RADIOTHERAPY SKIN LESIONS APPEAR?
Dott. Nicola Alessandro Iacovelli
Oncologist Radiotherapist INT
The main characteristics for a treatment capable to prevent skin lesions are
- the indication that the product has been specifically designed for the purpose and it is not a cream with dermo-cosmetic indication
- the presence of components with the property of stimulating the activity of fibroblasts, which are the cells involved in the cellular repair process
- the absence of oily components that create a barrier to rays and that can cause a burn injury if used during the treatment
The main characteristics for a treatment capable to heal skin lesions
A solution that, in addition to what is already listed for the preventive stage, has:
- lower risk of interaction with ongoing therapies
- active ingredients able to relieve the main side effects arising from the injury (redness, burning, itching, pain)
- the least impact on the patient’s sense of smell to avoid the onset of other related disorders (odorless solutions are preferred)
- easy to use topically
- that guarantees the minimum contact with the external environment, thus ensuring the lowest risk of contamination (preferably airless bottles)
The main characteristics of the products available today, based on their formulation, are
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JALOSOME® Soothing gelgel
Jalosome® Soothing gel is a gel formulation created from the specific need to treat dermatitis induced by radiotherapy, in its various stages of skin irritation.
Welcare’s laboratory research has developed a product formulation that meets the needs of the cancer patient who undergo radiotherapy treatment.
The transdermal release mechanism
Jalosome: 7 active ingredients
7
Jalosome® Soothing gel contains 7 active ingredients, all with an active function within the product. It can be used in the preventive phase, to stimulate skin cell reproduction, so as to promptly respond to the skin damage induced by the radiotherapy treatment, reducing its effects, delaying its onset and its intensity.
Its effectiveness is also proven in already evident lesions, even of a high degree.
AMONG THE COMPONENTS THERE ARE
Jalosome® Soothing gel does not contain
OILS
PARABENS
PEG
SILICONES
PERFUME
SLS (SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE)
packaging
Jalosome® Soothing gel comes in a pack containing 4 vials of 10ml, for a total of 40ml of product. The division into 4 different airless bottles aims to reduce as much as possible the contact between the product and the external environment and the user’s hands, so as to minimize the risk of contamination.
The quantity needed to treat the body area that will be or is undergoing radiotherapy is calculated considering that each delivery, corresponding to 0.2 grams of gel, is sufficient for 16 cm2 of skin.
Jalosome® Hydrating cream
Nourishing, moisturizing and keeping the skin elastic is extremely important to avoid disorders resulting from excessive dryness, such as, for example, redness, irritation, flaking.
For this reason, Welcare has chosen to combine Jalosome® Soothing gel with a new formulation, Jalosome® Hydrating cream, with the aim of providing a solution that helps to maintain the skin integrity.
The first fundamental difference is the cream formulation of Jalosome® Hydrating cream. The synergistic action of Aloe Barbadensis, vegetable oils and panthenol (Vitamin B5) is able to restore the hydrophilic power of the stratum corneum, giving the skin hydration and elasticity.
Jalosome® Hydrating cream can be used at the end of the radiotherapy treatment period, on intact skin, with the aim of stimulating cell renewal, keeping the skin hydrated and elastic. It must not be used during radiotherapy treatment as the oily component contained is not suitable for use during radiotherapy. During the active treatment phase, we advise to use Jalosome® Soothing gel that, thanks to its composition, responds to specific needs.
Jalosome® Hydrating comes in a package containing 1 bottle of 100 ml, with an airless dispensing system