Impact of Curcumin Supplementation on Radiation Dermatitis Severity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials Publisher Pubmed



Dahka SM¹ ; Afsharfar M² ; Tajadod S³ ; Sohouli MH⁴ ; Shekari S⁵ ; Nafouti FB¹ ; Alizadeh A⁶ ; Kachaei HS¹ ; Abbasi K⁷ ; Mohseni GK⁸ ; Alami F⁹ ; Gholamalizadeh M¹⁰ ; Doaei S¹¹
Source: Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention Published:2023

Abstract

Background: 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. Results: 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). Conclusion: 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. © 2023,Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention. All Rights Reserved.