ABSTRACT
Background: Radiotherapy is a method for treatment of various types of cancers. Change in skin tissue is the most common complication of this procedure. Based on the researchers' attention is drawn to the treatment plant
Objective: This study aimed to determine the effects of Aloe vera gel on skin pigmentation caused by electron radiation therapy after mastectomy in patients
Methods: This study is a clinical trial in 80 women with breast cancer Which had mastectomy and radiotherapy with electrons A purposive sampling voluntary and Triple blind select and There were placed In one of the two groups [Aloe vera gel and placebo group]
In this study, the questionnaire and measures of skin pigmentation was used And all variables were homogeneous
Pigmentation was evaluated before intervention and end of each week Up to six weeks
Results: The results showed that at the end of the first week of intervention, increased pigmentation was observed in two groups. In the aloe vera group at weeks of the third, fourth and fifth, highest degree of pigmentation was grade I and only 2.08% was grade III, but in this three weeks, 8.75% of control group, skin pigmentation changes was grade III
At the end of the sixth week, 6.25% of aloe vera group and 52.50% of control group had degree of pigmentation grade III. Kruskall Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests indicated significant differences between the two groups from second to sixth week About severity skin pigmentation changes [P<0.001]
Conclusion: The topical use of the Aleo vera gel could be effective in the skin pigmentation decrease in the patients that were subjected to radiotherapy. Literally this gel prevents the skin darkening resulted from the radiotherapy in a suitable manner