2Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Health Sciences, Okmeydanı Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul-Turkey DOI : 10.5505/tjo.2019.1801 OBJECTIVE
To investigate the protective effect of pentoxifylline against radiation injury in patients with breast cancer.
METHODS
A total of 82 patients with early-stage breast cancer who underwent breast-conserving surgery and intraoperative
electron radiotherapy (RT) as a boost followed by whole-breast RT in the past circa 5 years
and completed the full RT dose at least 1 year before were included into this retrospective study. The
patients who received prophylactic pentoxifylline (n=44) were assigned to Group A, and those who did
not (n=38) to Group B. All cases were evaluated a month (early) and 1 year (late) later, scored according
to the Late Effects Normal Tissue Task Force-Subjective, Objective, Management, Analytic scale and
analyzed using an independent t-test.
RESULTS
In Group A, the score was 0,1, 2, and 3 in 24,11,seven, and two cases, respectively, in the early period and
in 26,10, five, and three cases, respectively, in the late period. In Group B, the score was 0,1, 2, and 3 in
20,10, five, and three cases, respectively, in the early period, and in 15, 12, six, and five cases, respectively,
in the late period. The average scores in Groups A and B were, respectively, 0.90/0.86 in the early and
0.65/1.02 in the late period. According to the t-test, there was a significant difference in the late period
(p=0.001) in favor of Group A.
CONCLUSION
Penthoxifylline was effective in protection against the radiation injury.