Use of trolamine to prevent and treat acute radiation dermatitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the effects of trolamine in the prevention or treatment of radiation dermatitis. METHOD: systematic review and meta-analysis. Detailed individual search strategies for Cinahl, Cochrane Library Central, LILACS, PubMed, and Web of Science were developed in January 2016. A manual search was also performed to find additional references. A grey literature search was executed by using Google Scholar. Two researchers independently read the titles and abstracts from every cross-reference. The risk of bias of the included studies was analyzed by the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool. The quality of evidence and grading of strength of recommendations was assessed using Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). RESULTS: seven controlled clinical trials were identified. The controls used were calendula, placebo, institutional preference / usual care, Aquaphor(®), RadiaCare™, and Lipiderm™. The studies were pooled using frequency of events and risk ratio with 95% confidence intervals, in subgroups according to radiation dermatitis graduation. CONCLUSION: based on the studies included in this review, trolamine cannot be considered as a standardized product to prevent or treat radiation dermatitis in patients with breast and head and neck cancer.