Silver leaf nylon dressing to prevent radiation dermatitis in patients undergoing chemotherapy and external beam radiotherapy to the perineum.

PURPOSE: Silver-leaf nylon dressing (SLND) has been shown to have effective antimicrobial activity and to enhance healing in burns and skin grafts. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the value of SLND in preventing radiation dermatitis in patients undergoing radiotherapy to target volumes that included the perineum and concurrent chemotherapy.

METHODS AND MATERIALS: Fifteen consecutive patients with either anal canal or gynecologic cancer were offered the SLND as a preventive intervention. The evaluation was based on standardized photographs taken at the end of treatment. A historical control group of 15 patients with the same neoplasms who received standard skin care was assessed in the same fashion. Ten observers unaware of the treatment intervention were enrolled in the evaluation of the skin changes. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to assess the statistical significance of the differences in the dermatitis scores between the two patient groups.

RESULTS

The mean dermatitis score for controls was 2.62 (standard deviation, 0.48). The mean score for the SLND group was significantly lower at 1.16 (standard deviation, 0.40; p <0.0001).

CONCLUSION

The results of this study suggest that SLND is effective in reducing radiation dermatitis, apparently because of its antibacterial properties.