Skin thickness in the therapeutically irradiated breast.

Skin thickening of the breasts of 22 women undergoing excision biopsy of a breast cancer and subsequent radiation therapy to 5,000 rad is considered. The skin thickness of the treated breast returned to normal in 17 of 22 patients studied. Of the 17, nearly 60% returned to normal in 2 years, over 80% in 3 years, and the rest by 4 years. The period of follow-up was less than 4 years in the five patients with residual skin thickening. The alterations in skin thickness are consistent with the histopathologic changes seen in radiation dermatitis.