Radiation dermatitis: modern approaches to treatment. Review

It is now well established that radiation-induced dermatitis is a complication in 85-95% of patients undergoing standard radiotherapy. Despite the fact that the pathogenesis of radiation dermatitis has been quite well studied, the factors influencing the severity of its course have been established, and its distinctive features compared to thermal and chemical burns have been demonstrated, the prevention and treatment of radiation dermatitis remains an unsolved problem, leading to a decrease in the quality of life of patients and various long-term complications. Today, hygienic procedures are recommended as preventive measures in clinical medicine, namely: daily keeping the skin clean, applying moisturizer, wearing clothes made of soft fabrics, avoiding temperature changes, and protecting from direct sunlight. In addition, a number of products are used to treat other forms of skin lesions - moisturizing and anti-inflammatory ointments and dressings. These procedures help to partially improve the patient’s quality of life; however, they do not have a therapeutic effect on the primary cellular and molecular causes of the development of radiation dermatitis. Currently, there are several potentially more effective treatment methods, such as targeted gene and cell therapy, bioactivators, a number of physical methods and nanocomposites. In our work, we considered modern achievements in the field of treatment of radiation dermatitis, paying special attention to the prospects for the use of nanobiotechnological drugs in connection with their extensive research for science and medicine.