Purpose: Acute radiodermatitis is one of radiotherapy most common complications. Despite the high prevalence of radiodermatitis, few studies investigated how to prevent or treat this complication. Hence, any standard treatment has not been introduced so far. We sought to evaluate the efficacy of Dermolina-Henna cream, a new polyherbal formulation, compared to Mometasone cream for alleviating radiodermatitis amongst breast cancer patients. Methods: Women over 18 years of age with breast cancer undergoing radiotherapy were included in this double-blind active-control randomized clinical trial. A total of 93 eligible patients was randomly divided into the Dermolina-Henna and Mometasone groups. Patients were instructed to apply a thin layer of each cream once daily on their lesions at least 3 hours after radiotherapy for 4 weeks, and if grade I or II radiodermatitis developed, also afterward. Patients were visited weekly until end of study at after 4 weeks. RTOG (Radiation Therapy Oncology Group) standard questionnaires were evaluated and recorded every week as the primary outcome.Results: The trends on decrease in number of lesions, erythema, radiodermatitis grade, burning sensation, pain, and itchiness were statistically significant for each treatment, separately (P<0.001), except for radiodermatitis grade in Mometasone group (P=0.4). Dermolina-Henna was significantly better than Mometasone in alleviating burning sensation (P<0.001) and itchiness (P=0.041).Conclusion: In summary, we showed that Dermolina-Henna cream and Mometasone cream were significantly effective in decreasing severity of radiodermatitis symptoms amongst patients with breast cancer. Dermolina-Henna cream was significantly superior to Mometasone cream in alleviating burning and itchiness. IRCT20200115046144N1, 2020-03-04, retrospectively registered.
Background: In cancer patients, a prominent side effect of chemotherapy drugs is bone marrow suppression, which leads to decreased blood cell production. Herbal remedies and natural substances such as honey may fulfill a role in relieving this complication. The present study aimed to determine the efficiency of Jollab (a honey-based syrup) in the prevention of pancytopenia in female patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: In a pilot double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial, 70 patients were examined in terms of leukocyte count, platelet count, and hemoglobin level at the Shohaday-e Tajrish Cancer Clinic (Tehran, Iran) in 2020. The intervention group consumed 10 ml of Jollab syrup three times a day for four weeks, while the control group took a placebo with the same prescription. The independent sample t-test and chi-squared test were used for data analysis in this trial. Results: Our data revealed that the total number of leukocytes, hemoglobin levels, and platelet counts have no significant differences between the two groups at the end of the study, but significant changes were discovered for hemoglobin and platelet levels in intragroup analysis for both intervention and placebo groups. Conclusion: Although the use of Jollab was not found to be effective in augmenting the levels of blood cell parameters in women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy, future studies of higher quality may demonstrate its supportive role provided the present limitations are addressed. [GMJ.2021;10:e1972]
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