Development of a specialized service for patients undergoing Cutaneous Radiation Syndrome (3040)

The main purpose of this work is to stress the importance of the existence of a specialized sector within the Medical Centers for treating patients who have suffered the impact that means an apparently 'mild skin injury' and due to the lack of proper diagnosis, the progression of inflammatory waves, due to exacerbation periods, cannot be stopped. The cutaneous symptoms are caused by a combination of inflammatory process and alteration of cellular proliferation as a result of a specific pattern of proinflammatory cytokines and growth factors. The symptoms follow a time course pattern that mostly depend on the received doses, radiation quality, individual radiosensitivity, volume of skin exposed and patient's co morbidities: diabetes, smoking, obesity, etc., added to ischemia-reperfusion of the dermal vessels, and causing even more damage. For this reason, we have been working since 1997 in the frame of an agreement with the Nuclear Regulatory Authority of Argentina, for the diagnosis and treatment of localized radiation induced injuries. Patients were classified according to the toxicity criteria of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer: grades 0 to 4. Since 2000, every patients assisted were treated with an equivalent therapeutic scheme, with a long term follow-up, showing favorable evolution in most cases. This work summarized the multidisciplinary professional group required, the therapeutic protocol and adjunctive treatments applied, and the tools used for diagnosis and follow-up. (author)