Analysis of skin dose distribution for the prediction of severe radiation dermatitis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients treated with concurrent chemo‐radiotherapy

Abstract Background We investigated whether the pattern of intensity‐modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) dose distribution to the skin can be correlated with the development of G3/G4 radiation dermatitis (RD). Methods A frequency‐matched cohort analysis was perfomed on patients treated with IMRT and concurrent cisplatin or cetuximab. Risk ratios were obtained by fitting Poisson regression models. Results The incidence of G3/G4 RD was 41.1% in 90 patients included (50% vs 36.6% in the cetuximab and cisplatin cohorts, respectively). In multivariate analysis, PS ≥ 1 and weight loss at RT completion >10 kg were the only factors that retained significance. The best dosimetric predictive accuracy was provided by 19.9 cc and 5.8 cc of skin ring 2 mm V50 and V60, respectively (AUC: 0.61 for both). Conclusion Along with clinical factors, the pattern of dose distribution to a ring structure localized 2 mm below the patient's surface may help predict the development of severe RD.