curcumin and Radiodermatitis

Radiodermatitis (RD) occurs in 95% of cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. At present, there is no effective treatment for the management of this complication of radiotherapy. Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a polyphenolic and biologically active natural compound with various pharmacological functions. The aim of this systematic review was to determine the efficacy of curcumin supplementation for reducing RD severity. This review complied with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in Cochrane library, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and MEDLINE databases. A total of seven studies comprising 473 cases and 552 controls were included in this review. Four studies demonstrated that curcumin supplementation had a beneficial effect on RD intensity. These data provide evidence for the potential clinical use of curcumin in supportive cancer care. Further large prospective and well-designed trials are warranted to exactly determine the "real effective extract, supplemental form and dose of curcumin" for RD prevention and treatment of patients receiving radiotherapy.

Topics: Curcuma; Curcumin; Databases, Factual; Humans; Prospective Studies; Radiodermatitis

Radiation dermatitis (RD) is a common side effect of radiotherapy in most breast cancer patients. Curcumin has recently attracted more attention for managing the side effects of breast cancer treatments. This review study aimed to investigate the effect of curcumin on the severity of radiation dermatitis in patients with breast cancer.   Methods: All eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were collected by searching PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and Web of Science. The effect size was expressed as weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Study heterogeneity was assessed through Q statistics and I-squared.. Four RCTs with 882 patients were included in the final analysis. The results of the meta-analysis indicated that curcumin supplementation significantly reduced radiation dermatitis severity (RDS) score in the intervention group compared to the control group (WMD=-0.50; 95% CI -0.72 to -0.27, P <0.001). A significant heterogeneity was observed between the studies (I2 = 95.7%, P < 0.001).. Based on the results of the present study, curcumin has significant effects in reducing the severity of radiation dermatitis in breast cancer patients receiving radiotherapy. Further well-designed longitudinal studies are recommended to confirm these results and to discover the underlying mechanisms of the effects of curcumin on the severity of radiation dermatitis in patients with cancer.

Topics: Breast Neoplasms; Curcumin; Dietary Supplements; Female; Humans; Radiodermatitis; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

Curcuma and its derivatives are associated with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities in the skin. They exhibit beneficial effects in wound healing and prevention of chronic ultraviolet B damage and may prevent facial redness such as rosacea and flushing. This review aims to provide an up-to-date and rigorous synthesis of studies that demonstrated the clinical efficacy of curcuminoids in the skin. We evaluated studies published in the MEDLINE-PubMed/PMC (National Library of Medicine) databases, and followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines for this review. This search included papers published in the past 10 years in controlled clinical trials, double-blind and randomized controlled studies, and case studies. The search resulted in 12 studies published in the past 10 years. Curcuma species (Curcuma longa and Curcuma aeruginosa) and curcumin were found to produce various dermatological effects, including influencing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory processes in the production of hyaluronan, increasing skin moisture, and reducing axillary hair growth. Curcuma was also found to reduce thickness, erythema, pruritus, burning and pain in psoriasis lesions and to improve radiodermatitis lesions. Our review results show that Curcuma species may play a role in skin health management and may exhibit various dermatological effects, thus it could be a new therapeutic arsenal for dermatology professionals. Nevertheless, more clinical trials should be conducted with humans to establish the optimum delivery method and dosages for different dermatological conditions.

Topics: Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Antioxidants; Curcuma; Curcumin; Double-Blind Method; Female; Humans; Hyaluronic Acid; Male; Plant Extracts; Psoriasis; Radiodermatitis; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Rosacea; Skin; Treatment Outcome; Wound Healing

Despite advances in medical technology, radiation-induced dermatitis occurs in 95% of cancer patients receiving radiation therapy. Currently, there is no standard and effective treatment for the prevention or control of radiation dermatitis. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of nano-curcumin in alleviating the radiation-induced skin reactions (RISRs) in breast cancer patients.. A randomized, triple-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial was performed on 42 patients with breast cancer. The patients were randomly allocated to receive radiotherapy plus placebo (control group) and radiotherapy plus 80 mg/day nano-curcumin capsules (treatment group) up to two weeks after the end of treatment. Then, the RISRs (graded by the radiation therapy oncology group (RTOG) scale) and pain level of the patients were evaluated at baseline and weekly. Finally, the results were analyzed by T-test and Pearson chi-square test.. According to the RTOG scale, 0%, 14.28%, and 85.71% of patients in the control group showed grades 0, 1, and 2 RISRs, respectively. In the treatment group, it was observed that 9.52%, 47.61%, and 42.85% of patients had grades 0, 1, and 2 RISRs, respectively. Compared to the control group, it was found that concomitant use of the nano-curcumin supplement did not significantly reduce the RISR severity during the first to sixth weeks (P > 0.05); however, there was a significant difference at week 7 (P = 0.01). Moreover, the patient-reported pain, as the secondary endpoint, was significantly reduced in the treatment group compared with the control group (P < 0.05).. In general, it was found that the administration of nano-curcumin could alleviate radiation- induced skin toxicity of breast cancer patients, but this effect was not significant.

Topics: Breast Neoplasms; Curcumin; Double-Blind Method; Female; Humans; Pain; Radiodermatitis; Radiopharmaceuticals

The study objective was to assess the effectiveness of a turmeric- and sandal wood oil-containing cream [Vicco(®) turmeric cream (VTC); Vicco Laboratories, Parel, India] on radiodermatitis in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiotherapy.. A total of 50 patients with head and neck cancer requiring >60 Gy of curative radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy were enrolled in the study. The volunteers were randomly divided into two groups of 25 patients. Group 1 was assigned to a topical application of Johnson's(®) baby oil (Johnson & Johnson Ltd, Baddi, India) and Group 2 for VTC. Prophylactic application of the cream was initiated on Day 1 and continued every day until 2 weeks after the end of treatment. Both agents were symmetrically applied within the irradiated field five times a day, and the acute skin reactions were assessed twice weekly in accordance with the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group scores by an investigator who was unaware of the details.. The incidence of radiodermatitis increased with the exposure to radiation and was the highest in both groups at Week 7. However, a significant reduction in grades of dermatitis were seen in cohorts applying VTC at all time points, including 2 weeks post radiotherapy (p < 0.015 to p < 0.001). The occurrence of Grade 3 dermatitis was lower in the cohorts using VTC and was statistically significant (p < 0.01). Additionally, follow-up observations 2 weeks after the completion of radiotherapy also showed a reduced degree of radiodermatitis in cohorts applying VTC, which was significant (p = 0.015).. VTC is shown to be effective in preventing radiodermatitis and needs to be validated in larger double-blind trials.. For the first time, this study shows that the turmeric- and sandal oil-based cream was effective in preventing radiation-induced dermatitis.

Topics: Administration, Topical; Curcuma; Double-Blind Method; Female; Head and Neck Neoplasms; Humans; India; Male; Middle Aged; Ointments; Phytotherapy; Pilot Projects; Plant Oils; Radiodermatitis; Sesquiterpenes; Treatment Outcome

Radiation dermatitis occurs in approximately 95% of patients receiving radiotherapy (RT) for breast cancer. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to assess the ability of curcumin to reduce radiation dermatitis severity in 30 breast cancer patients. Eligible patients were adult females with noninflammatory breast cancer or carcinoma in situ prescribed RT without concurrent chemotherapy. Randomized patients took 2.0 grams of curcumin or placebo orally three times per day (i.e., 6.0 grams daily) throughout their course of RT. Weekly assessments included Radiation Dermatitis Severity (RDS) score, presence of moist desquamation, redness measurement, McGill Pain Questionnaire-Short Form and Symptom Inventory questionnaire. The 30 evaluable patients were primarily white (90%) and had a mean age of 58.1 years. Standard pooled variances t test showed that curcumin reduced RDS at end of treatment compared to placebo (mean RDS = 2.6 vs. 3.4; P = 0.008). Fisher's exact test revealed that fewer curcumin-treated patients had moist desquamation (28.6% vs. 87.5%; P = 0.002). No significant differences were observed between arms for demographics, compliance, radiation skin dose, redness, pain or symptoms. In conclusion, oral curcumin, 6.0 g daily during radiotherapy, reduced the severity of radiation dermatitis in breast cancer patients.

Topics: Adult; Breast Neoplasms; Curcumin; Double-Blind Method; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Radiation Dosage; Radiodermatitis; Radiotherapy

Despite advances in medical technology, radiation dermatitis occurs in 95% of patients receiving radiation therapy (RT) for cancer. Currently, there is no standard and effective treatment for the prevention or control of radiation dermatitis. The goal of the study was to determine the efficacy of oral curcumin, one of the biologically active components in turmeric, at reducing radiation dermatitis severity (RDS) at the end of RT, using the RDS scale, compared to placebo.. This was a multisite, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial of 686 breast cancer patients. Patients took four 500-mg capsules of placebo or curcumin three times daily throughout their prescribed course of RT until 1 week post-RT.. A total of 686 patients were included in the final analyses (87.5% white females, mean age = 58). Linear mixed-model analyses demonstrated that curcumin did not reduce radiation dermatitis severity at the end of RT compared to placebo (B (95% CI) = 0.044 (- 0.101, 0.188), p = 0.552). Fewer curcumin patients with RDS > 3.0 suggested a trend toward reduced severity (7.4 vs. 12.9%, p = 0.082). Patient-reported changes in pain, symptoms, and quality of life were not statistically significant between arms.. Oral curcumin did not significantly reduce radiation dermatitis severity compared to placebo. The skin rating variation and broad eligibility criteria could not account for the undetectable therapeutic effect. An objective measure for radiation dermatitis severity and further exploration for an effective treatment for radiation dermatitis is warranted.

Topics: Administration, Oral; Breast Neoplasms; Curcumin; Double-Blind Method; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Quality of Life; Radiodermatitis; Treatment Outcome