Prophylaxis of acute radiation dermatitis with an innovative FDA-approved two-step skin care system in a patient with head and neck cancer undergoing a platin-based radiochemotherapy: a case report and review of the literature.

Radiodermatitis is a very common side effect in cancer treatment often leading to therapy delays and diminution of the patients' health state and quality of life. Despite a wide range of supportive strategies, radiodermatitis is still a major problem necessitating further improvements in prevention and treatment. Lactokine is a milk-based protein shown to assist in the reduction of skin redness. The treatment is a unique FDA-approved skin care system (R1 and R2). In this case presentation we describe the prophylactic use of R1 and R2 in a 63-year-old, female patient with a squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx undergoing a platin-based chemoradiation. The application was feasible and safe and the patient developed only a slight radiodermatitis. To our knowledge this is the first report in the literature on the prophylactic use of R1 and R2. Further evidence will be provided by a prospective, clinical trial we have launched (CREAM-1; study registration in ISRCTN Registry: ISRCTN87302591). We also review the literature to give an overview about common strategies in the management of radiodermatitis.