Uso dos cremes de camomila e calêndula na prevenção de radiodermatites: ensaio clínico randomizado duplo cego

Abstract

Background: Radiodermatitis is characterized by skin lesions resulting from exposure to ionizing radiation, affecting between 80 and 90% of patients undergoing radiotherapy in the head and neck region. Chamomile and calendula creams are indicated for patients exposed to radiotherapy to prevent radiodermatitis. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of using chamomile cream in relation to marigold cream in preventing acute radiodermatitis in participants undergoing radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. Methods: Randomized, double-blind, prospective clinical study with quantitative analysis of the data. The study included participants with head and neck cancer who underwent radiotherapy, of both sexes, aged 18 years or older, randomly assigned to one of the two groups: one group that used chamomile cream and another that used use of marigold cream. The skin of participants in the irradiation field was evaluated in the first radiotherapy session, every five sessions and after 30 days after the end of treatment, according to the criteria of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG). Results: Some degree of radiodermatitis was identified in all evaluations, except the first, as it happened on the first day of radiotherapy. The highest average of radiodermatitis in both groups was in the sixth evaluation, 2.10 in the chamomile group and 2.37 in the marigold. The maximum degree observed was 3, in the chamomile group this value was identified in the fifth evaluation, remaining until sixth. In the marigold group, grade 3 was identified for the first time in the sixth assessment, remaining until the eighth. There was no statistically significant difference in the groups evaluated. Conclusion: It is suggested that chamomile cream and marigold cream showed similar good performance and effectiveness in preventing radiodermatitis in participants with head and neck cancer submitted to radiotherapy.