Re-examining the evidence in radiation dermatitis management literature: an overview and a critical appraisal of systematic reviews

Chan, Raymond Javan, Larsen, Emily and Chan, Philip (2012) Re-examining the evidence in radiation dermatitis management literature: an overview and a critical appraisal of systematic reviews. International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics, 84 3: E357-E362.


Author Chan, Raymond Javan
Larsen, Emily
Chan, Philip
Title Re-examining the evidence in radiation dermatitis management literature: an overview and a critical appraisal of systematic reviews
Journal name International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics  (ERA 2012 Listed)    (ERA 2010 Rank A)   Check publisher's open access policy
Publication date 2012-11
Sub-type Review of research - research literature review (NOT book review
DOI 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2012.05.009
Volume number 84
Issue number 3
ISSN 0360-3016; 1879-355X
Start page E357
End page E362
Total pages 6
Place of publication Philadelphia, PA, United States
Publisher Elsevier
Collection year 2013
Language eng
Formatted abstract Purpose: To provide an overview and a critical appraisal of systematic reviews (SRs) of published interventions for the prevention/management of radiation dermatitis.

Methods and Materials: We searched Medline, CINAHL, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. We also manually searched through individual reference lists of potentially eligible articles and a number of key journals in the topic area. Two authors screened all potential articles and included eligible SRs. Two authors critically appraised and extracted key findings from the included reviews using AMSTAR (the measurement tool for "assessment of multiple systematic reviews").

Results: Of 1837 potential titles, 6 SRs were included. A number of interventions have been reported to be potentially beneficial for managing radiation dermatitis. Interventions evaluated in these reviews included skin care advice, steroidal/nonsteroidal topical agents, systemic therapies, modes of radiation delivery, and dressings. However, all the included SRs reported that there is insufficient evidence supporting any single effective intervention. The methodological quality of the included studies varied, and methodological shortfalls in these reviews might create biases to the overall results or recommendations for clinical practice.

Conclusions: An up-to-date high-quality SR in the prevention/management of radiation dermatitis is needed to guide practice and direction for future research. We recommend that clinicians or guideline developers critically evaluate the information of SRs in their decision making.
Keyword Skin reactions
Therapy
Irradiation
Q-Index Code C1
Q-Index Status Confirmed Code
Institutional Status UQ

Document type: Journal Article
Sub-type: Review of research - research literature review (NOT book review
Collections: Official 2013 Collection
School of Nursing and Midwifery Publications
 
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