Green Tea Ingredient Shows Promise for Preventing Severe Radiation Dermatitis

[Debopriya]

Prophylactic use of a green tea constituent significantly reduced the incidence and severity of radiation-induced dermatitis (RID) in breast cancer patients in a randomized trial, researchers say. The incidence of grade 2 or worse RID was significantly lower in patients treated with the green tea constituent - epigallocatechin-3-gallate, or EGCG - than in the placebo group (50.5% vs 72.2%;P=0.008), Dr. Hanxi Zhao and colleagues from the Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute in China reported in JAMA Dermatology.

[Natasha P]

@debopriya In their randomized, double blind trial, 165 patients (median age, 46) were assigned 2:1 to receive either EGCG solution (660 μmol/L) or placebo (0.9% NaCl saline) sprayed to the whole radiation field three times a day, from day 1 of radiotherapy until two weeks after radiation completion. Patients were evaluated weekly for signs of RID using the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) scale and the Skin Toxicity Assessment Tool.