Dosimetric Comparison of Acute Skin Complications Following Conventional and Hypofractionated Radiotherapy in Breast Cancer Patients Publisher



Boroumand MA ; Azmoonfar R ; Madadizadeh F ; Saber K ; Hamzian N
Source: International Journal of Radiation Research Published:2025

Abstract

Background: Radiation therapy is one of the most important methods of breast cancer treatment that can cause complications that affect the patient's quality of life. The aim of this study was a dosimetric comparison of skin complications after hypofractionated radiotherapy (HFRT) and conventional fractionated radiotherapy (CFRT) in breast cancer patients. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study between November 2021 and July 2022, 55 patients were reviewed. Thirty-six patients received CFRT (50Gy in 25 fractions), and 19 patients received HFRT (42. 5Gy in 16 fractions). Skin complications during treatment and 40 days after radiotherapy were evaluated and compared for these two procedures. Results: The incidence of grade 1, 2, and 3 skin complications up to 40 days after CFRT was 100%, 88.8%, and 22.2%, respectively; also, in HFRT, the incidence of grade 1, 2, and 3 skin complications was 89.4%, 36.8%, and zero, respectively. The results show that the incidence of skin complications is significantly higher with the CFRT than with the HFRT (P<0.05). Conclusion: In this clinical study, both in terms of complications and dosimetry, it was shown that patients undergoing radiation therapy with the hypofractionation technique had fewer skin complications compared to those treated with the conventional technique. © 2025, Novin Medical Radiation Institute. All rights reserved.