Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40110362›Full record

ArticleClinical and translational radiation oncology2025

Mepitel® film versus standard care for the prevention of skin toxicity in breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant radiotherapy: A randomized controlled trial.

Dario Valcarenghi, Angela Tolotti, Hansjoerg Vees, Valter Torri, Sarah Jayne Liptrott, Giovanni Presta, Andrea Puliatti, Laura Moser, Davide Sari, Mariacarla Valli

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical and translational radiation oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. MASCC oncodermatology clinical practice statement: prevention and management of acute radiation dermatitis with Mepitel Film and Hydrofilm.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Guideline
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Dario ValcarenghiNursing Development and Research Unit, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Via Gallino, 12, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland.
Angela TolottiNursing Development and Research Unit, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Via Gallino, 12, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland.
Hansjoerg VeesUnità di Radio-Oncologia, Clinica Hirslanden, Witellikerstrasse 40, 8032 Zürich, Switzerland.
Valter TorriClinical Oncology Department, IRCCS Istituto 'Mario Negri' IRCCS, Via Mario Negri, 2, 20156 Milano, Italy.
Sarah Jayne LiptrottNursing Development and Research Unit, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Via Gallino, 12, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland.
Giovanni PrestaUnità di Radio-Oncologia, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Via Gallino, 12, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland.
Andrea PuliattiUnità di Radio-Oncologia, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Via Gallino, 12, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland.
Laura MoserDirectorate of Nursing, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Via Gallino, 12, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland.
Davide SariUnità di Radio-Oncologia, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Via Gallino, 12, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland.
Mariacarla ValliUnità di Radio-Oncologia, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Via Gallino, 12, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background & purpose: Radiotherapy plays a key role in breast cancer treatment however, radiation-induced dermatitis can impact on treatment delivery and patient quality of life.The primary outcome was to compare Mepitel® Film versus standard treatment in preventing radiotherapy skin toxicity onset. Methods: A multicentre randomised controlled phase III study compared standard treatment (aqueous-urea cream - Excipial U hydrolotion applied at the beginning of radiotherapy and antiseptic cream - Flammazine or Ialugen Plus applied at the onset of moist desquamation) versus Mepitel® Film in patients with breast cancer undergoing post-operative radiotherapy. The primary outcome was the proportion of moist desquamation (RTOG score ≥ 2) in the experimental and control groups. Results: During the study (2016-2020), 161 patients were randomized, 154 (95.7 %) were evaluable. Skin toxicity Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) score ≥ 2 was observed in 9.5 % and 13.9 % of experimental and control groups respectively (Relative Risk = 0.68, 95 %CI 0.28-1.66; p = 0.393). RTOG scores > 0 were 90.5 % and 94.9 % in experimental and control groups respectively (Relative Risk = 0.95, 95 %CI 0.87-1.04; p = 0.294).Multivariable analysis, controlled for age, diabetes, BMI and smoking exposure, showed a risk reduction of RTOG > 0 of 38 % (HR = 0.62 95 %CI 0.49-0.96, p = 0.028), and a risk reduction of RTOG > 1 of 33 % (HR = 0.67 95 %CI 0.26-1.76, p = 0.420) in the experimental group.The median time to recovery from RTOG grade > 0 toxicity was 17 and 32 days for experimental and control groups, respectively (p = 0.027). At multivariable analysis, time to recovery was 38 % faster in the experimental group (HR = 1.38 95 %CI (0.99-1.93) p = 0.059). Conclusions: Although the study did not demonstrate a statistically significant reduction in RTOG > 2 skin toxicity, there was evidence of a reduction in the rate of skin toxicity and an improvement in time to recovery. The device was well tolerated by patients.

Indexed as

Breast cancerMepitel® FilmRadiotherapySkin toxicity

Identifiers

PMID40110362
PMCPMC11919610

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.