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An evaluation of the skincare management of patients receiving radiotherapy for breast cancer

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 October 2019

Leona McAlinden ,
Andrea Mullan  and
Paul Shepherd Open the ORCID record for Paul Shepherd [Opens in a new window]
Leona McAlinden
Affiliation:
Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Belfast City Hospital, BT9 7AB, Northern Ireland
Andrea Mullan
Affiliation:
School of Health Sciences, Ulster University, Jordanstown Campus, Newtownabbey, County Antrim, BT37 0QB, Northern Ireland
Paul Shepherd*
Affiliation:
School of Health Sciences, Ulster University, Jordanstown Campus, Newtownabbey, County Antrim, BT37 0QB, Northern Ireland
*
Author for correspondence: Paul Shepherd, School of Health Sciences, Ulster University, Jordanstown Campus, Newtownabbey, County Antrim, BT37 0QB, Northern Ireland. E-mail: PH.Shepherd@ulster.ac.uk
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Abstract

Aim:

Breast cancer patients experience skin reactions during radiotherapy. Radiation-induced skin reactions can result in treatment delivery being interrupted. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the skincare management of patients receiving radiotherapy for breast cancer in order to inform best practice.

Method:

A literature search was undertaken using USearch and HONNI in support of the first-hand evidence gained from the supervised on-treatment review of patients receiving radiotherapy for breast cancer.

Results:

There is evidence to suggest that the skincare advice given to patients varies widely between departments in the UK with many not following nationally recommended guidelines. Studies demonstrate that there are ways to reduce skin reactions and that there are a range of effective management strategies being adopted. Prophylactic skincare has been explored to improve the resilience of the skin prior to commencing radiotherapy.

Findings:

Further investigation is required in order to clearly establish the optimum national skincare management for breast cancer patients. More studies are required to test the effectiveness and viability of prophylactic measures. Skincare guidance needs to be robustly developed and effectively promoted by therapeutic radiographers for radiotherapy patients to benefit from reduced, radiation-induced, skin reactions.

Keywords

breast cancerradiotherapyskincareskin reactions
Type
Literature Review
Information
Journal of Radiotherapy in Practice , Volume 19 , Issue 4 , December 2020 , pp. 365 - 369
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Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2019

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