Ryan JL, Bole C, Hickok JT, Figueroa-Moseley C, Colman L, Khanna RC, Pentland AP, Morrow GR, et al.
British journal of cancer. Date of publication 2007 Jul 2;volume 97(1):14-21.
1. Br J Cancer. 2007 Jul 2;97(1):14-21. Epub 2007 Jun 12.
Post-treatment skin reactions reported by cancer patients differ by race, not by
treatment or expectations.
Ryan JL(1), Bole C, Hickok JT, Figueroa-Moseley C, Colman L, Khanna RC, Pentland
AP, Morrow GR.
Author information:
(1)Department of Dermatology, University of Rochester School of Medicine &
Dentistry, James P Wilmot Cancer Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
Julie_Ryan@urmc.rochester.edu
Cancer patients may experience skin problems while undergoing chemotherapy and
radiation therapy. Frequency of skin reactions may be influenced by skin
pigmentation and psychological factors. A Symptom Inventory completed by 656
cancer patients nationwide before and after chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or
chemotherapy plus radiation therapy was analysed to determine if treatment type,
race (Black vs White), and pretreatment expectations influenced post-treatment
skin reactions. Subsequent analysis of a local Symptom Inventory completed weekly
for 5 weeks by 308 patients receiving radiation therapy examined severity of
reported skin reactions. Significantly more patients receiving radiation therapy
had stronger expectations of skin problems (62%) than patients receiving
chemotherapy (40%, P=0.001) or chemotherapy plus radiation therapy (45%,
P=0.003). Overall, expectations did not correlate with patient reported
post-treatment skin problems in white (r=0.014, P=0.781) or black (r=0.021,
P=0.936) patients. Although no significant difference was found between black and
white patients in their pretreatment expectations of skin problems (P=0.32),
black patients (10 out of 18, 56%) reported more skin problems than white
patients (90 out of 393, 23%, P=0.001). Similarly, the local study showed that
significantly more black patients (1 out of 5, 20%) reported severe skin
reactions at the treatment site than white patients (12 out of 161, 8%). A direct
correlation was observed between severity of skin problems and pain at the
treatment site (r=0.541, P<0.001). Total radiation exposure did not significantly
correlate with the report of skin problems at the treatment site for white or
black patients. Overall, black patients reported more severe post-treatment skin
problems than white patients. Our results suggest that symptom management for
post-treatment skin reactions in cancer patients receiving radiation treatment
could differ depending on their racial background.
DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6603842
PMCID: PMC2359663
PMID: 17565347 [Indexed for MEDLINE]
