Bourgeois JF, Gourgou S, Kramar A, Lagarde JM, Guillot B, et al.
Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and.... Date of publication 2008 Feb 1;volume 14(1):71-6.
1. Skin Res Technol. 2008 Feb;14(1):71-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0846.2007.00263.x.
A randomized, prospective study using the LPG technique in treating
radiation-induced skin fibrosis: clinical and profilometric analysis.
Bourgeois JF(1), Gourgou S, Kramar A, Lagarde JM, Guillot B.
Author information:
(1)Montpellier I University and Centre Régional de Lutte Contre le Cancer Val
d'Aurelle, Montpellier Cedex, France. jfbourgeois@valdorel.fnclcc.fr
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Cutaneous fibrosis is the quite mandatory sequela after a
breast cancer treated by radiotherapy and it induces more or less important
functional troubles. The LPG technique is a technique of mechanical massage that
allows skin mobilization by folding/unfolding. The aim of this study was to
evaluate the changes on irradiated skin before and after LPG treatment by
clinical and skin replica analysis.
METHODS: Twenty women, 43-55 years old, who had been treated from 6 to 16 months
before, for breast cancer with a conservative surgery and radiotherapy, had been
enrolled in the trial. They were divided into two groups after randomization: the
first group was LPG treated three times a week for 1 month; the second group was
only placed under medical supervision. The clinical criteria studied were
systematically studied before (T0), at the end of treatment (T1) and 1 month
after the end of treatment (T2): pain, itching, skin dryness, erythema, skin
infiltration, feeling of tightness and of induration of the skin. Softening of
the skin was assessed at T1 and T2. Cutaneous replica was performed on the
internal upper 1/4 of each breast with silicone material before, after and 1
month later after the end of the treatment. After polymerization, the replica was
stored and then blindly analyzed by image analysis software. The following
parameters were systematically measured: average skin roughness, average of
wrinkles' depth and residual length, wrinkle number and the space between them.
RESULTS: Clinically, the LPG treatment induced a decrease of erythema (10% of the
patients vs. 40% before treatment), a decrease of pain and pruritus (10% vs. 20%
and 40%, respectively) and a decrease of the feeling of induration of the skin
(10% of the patients vs. 70% before treatment). Furthermore, a skin-softening
sensation was noted by seven patients vs. one in the control group. Replica shows
an increase of roughness and of furrow depth without any change in the residual
length and an increase in the space between the wrinkles, whose number decreases.
CONCLUSION: This study confirms the impact of the clinical sequelae induced on
skin after radiotherapy and shows improvement of the clinical signs after
treatment by the LPG technique. The latter induces changes of micro relief,
suggesting a softening effect on the skin. These preliminary results have to be
confirmed on a more important group of patients.
DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0846.2007.00263.x
PMID: 18211604 [Indexed for MEDLINE]
