Evaluation of the Effect of Alpha Lipoic Acid on Radiation Induced Dermatitis in Breast Cancer Patients

Cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, and cancer treatment options include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, and hormone therapy. Radiation therapy is a treatment based on the use of high-energy waves or radioactive particles to damage tumor cells to attenuate their growth. This modality has been effectively used for cancer treatment in more than 100 years.

Radiation therapy (RT) is one of the standard protocols with a high success rate for the treatment of breast cancer to reduce the risk of recurrence and death. The goal of radiation therapy is to destroy tumor cells with minimal damage to normal tissue. However, normal cells may be damaged when exposed to radiation.

Radiation-induced dermatitis (RID) occurs in 95% of patients receiving radiation therapy during their treatment. The skin cells located in close vicinity to the tumor cells receive large amounts of radiation, causing several complications such as redness, dry and wet desquamation, and tissue necrosis.

The occurrence of these complications in patients leads to discomfort, limited daily activities, and even stops radiotherapy, which negatively affects the cancer treatment. Symptoms usually appear 10-14 days following the initiation of treatment and carry on for 2 to 4 weeks during radiation therapy. Previous studies evaluated the effect of various topical and oral formulations in radiation-induced dermatitis. However, until now, there is no standard measure for the prevention of radiation-induced dermatitis in patients with breast cancer.

The mechanisms associated with radiation-induced dermatitis include inflammatory response and oxidative stress (OS). Inflammatory response and oxidative stress interact and promote each other. After radiation-induced cell damage, cells die in various forms, especially mitotic death, leading to inflammation and chronic oxidative stress. Understanding the mechanisms of chronic oxidative damage and injury of affected cells, tissues, and organs after exposure to radiation therapy may contribute to the development of treatment and management strategies of the complications associated with radiation therapy.