Topical use of olive oil preparation to prevent radiodermatitis: results of a prospective study in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients.

BACKGROUND

Radiodermatitis is a common side effect of radiotherapy. However, an effective method for the prevention of radiodermatitis has not yet been identified. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of topical olive oil in the prevention of acute radiodermatitis in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) who were undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

METHODS

A prospective study was conducted in patients with NPC. The patients were randomized into the intervention (n = 47) and control (n = 47) groups. Patients in the control group were treated with a general skin care regimen (placebo), whereas patients in the intervention group were treated with olive oil thrice daily for 7 weeks during chemoradiotherapy and for two weeks thereafter. On a weekly basis for a total duration of 9 weeks, a blinded observer assessed the severity of dermatitis, which was graded from 0 to 4 according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) criteria and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score.

RESULTS

Mild reactions due to radiation (grades I and II) occurred in 93.6% of the intervention group and in 72.3% of the control group. Patients in the intervention group encountered significantly less severe dermatitis during chemoradiotherapy compared with patients in the control group (P < 0.01). A multivariate analysis revealed that the use of olive oil (P < 0.01) was significantly associated with a decrease in skin injuries.

CONCLUSIONS

The prophylactic use of olive oil was associated with a significant decrease in the intensity of acute dermatitis in NPC patients. The results of this trial indicate that olive oil holds promise as a safe and effective prophylactic treatment for radiodermatitis.