Hemoglobin Concentration as an Indicator of Skin Radiation Damage During Radiation Therapy Treatments.

PURPOSE: Acute radiation dermatitis (ARD) is the most common side effect reported by patients undergoing radiation therapy (RT). Currently, the assessment of the severity of the reaction is based on the visual assessment of the skin, which is a subjective method, depending on many factors. The main aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of hyperspectral imaging (HSI) in the assessment of ARD and find physiological factors that could be correlated with ARD. METHODS AND MATERIALS: In this clinical pilot trial, weekly acquisitions of hyperspectral camera images of irradiated skin were performed for 5 weeks of RT and at the posttreatment follow-up visit which took place 30 to 40 days after the last fraction of RT. At the same time, the severity of radiodermatitis was assessed based on the criteria of the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE). The content and concentration of chromophores in irradiated skin were quantitatively determined using a hyperspectral camera. RESULTS: The use of HSI supported by image analysis and processing methods allowed for the determination of the content and distribution of hemoglobin and melanin in the irradiated skin. It was found that the hemoglobin concentration is correlated with the subjective assessment made according to the CTCAE protocol. CONCLUSIONS: HSI is a sensitive and specific method of analyzing the concentration of chromophores in the skin, including hemoglobin. A clear correlation was found between hemoglobin concentration and CTCAE v.5 scale because of which HSI can be considered as an objective method of skin assessment during RT.

Radiochemotherapy in Pancreatic Cancer.

Despite the advancements made in oncology in recent years, the treatment of pancreatic cancer remains a challenge. Five-year survival rates for this cancer do not exceed 10%. Among the reasons contributing to poor treatment outcomes are the oligosymptomatic course of the tumor, diagnostic difficulties due to the anatomical location of the organ, and the unique biological features of pancreatic cancer. The mainstay of treatment for resectable cancer is surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. For unresectable and metastatic cancers, chemotherapy remains the primary method of treatment. At the same time, for about thirty years, there have been attempts to improve treatment outcomes by using radiotherapy combined with systemic treatment. Unlike chemotherapy, radiotherapy has no established place in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. This paper addresses the topic of radiotherapy in pancreatic cancer as a valuable method that can improve treatment outcomes alongside chemotherapy.