Page 65 - APPENDIX B: Trials Investigating the Management of Acute Radiation-Induced Skin Reactions Reading Qualitative Research

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WOUND CARE

subjective features of skin damage such as pain or discomfort. One of the other responses in the

detailed text box indicated that they use the BC Cancer agency skin assessment tool in practice,

which is an adapted version of NCI Common Toxicity Criteria assessment tool.

Table 4.5

Skin Assessment Tool for Radiation Dermatitis
Response Chart Percentage Count

Radiation Therapy Oncology 41% 7
Group (RTOG) criteria
National Cancer Institute (NCI) 71% 12
Common Toxicity Criteria
Radiation Induced Skin 0% 0
Reaction Assessment Scale
(RISRAS)
Other 12% 2

Don't know 0% 0
Total Responses 17

The most commonly used assessment and clinical documentation tool as described by

McQuestion (2010) identifies, “The RTOG scoring criteria for radiation skin reactions measures

the intensity of a reaction using an ordinal scale from 0 to 4, ranging from no change through

degrees of skin desquamation to ulceration and necrosis”, whereas the revised NCI Common

Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE, 2009) in its fourth version “documents grades of

radiation dermatitis using an ordinal scale from 1 to 5, ranging from faint erythema or dry

desquamation through higher degrees of erythema and desquamation to necrosis or ulceration

and death” ( p. 125).

Frequency of wound assessment. The pie chart (Figure 4.3) shows that wound is

assessed as needed (41%) at seven centres, daily (29%) at five centres, and weekly (29%) at

other five centres. The ‘as needed’ criteria might include patient preference, or condition of the