[EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN OIL EXTRACT OF ROSEHIP IN THE PREVENTION OF EPITHELITIS DUE TO RADIOTHERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH HEAD AND NECK CANCER].

INTRODUCTION: Epithelitis is a frequent side effect in radiotherapy treatments (RT).

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of Rosehip Oil (ARM, Repavar®) in the prevention of epithelitis in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) treated with intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).

MATERIAL AND METHODS: An interventionist, prospective, exploratory, controlled and open clinical study. Between May and October 2013, 28 patients were included in the study. After signing the informed consent form, the patients were provided with ARM to apply this twice daily from the beginning of the treatment. All of them had a prescribed dose of IMRT ≥ 60 Gy. They were evaluated weekly by nurses on the ward. A photographic monitoring of the skin with a registered grade of epithelitis and with signs of pain or other was carried out. The control group was formed of 34 consecutive patients with HNC treated with IMRT months prior to the study, whose skin treatment had been different products.

RESULTS: Both groups were comparable (age, sex, region and RT dose). In the study group (ARM), the number of treatments per patient (p = 0.3) and the natural days for treatment per patient (p = 0.38) were less; also, the number of patients who required treatments and who suffered from radiodermitis of III-IV grade, were less. It is probable that the limited specimen size may have influenced in the statistics.

CONCLUSIONS: The effectiveness of ARM in the prevention of severe epithelitis in patients with HNC treated with RT is, at least, as effective (or more effective) as other and more common skin treatments. A randomized study would be required to confirm these findinas.