Dr. Maitland DeLand Pioneers Using LED Photomodulation to Reduce Skin
                       Damage From Radiation Therapy

    LAFAYETTE, La., July 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Maitland DeLand, a
radiation oncologist and president of OncoLogics, Inc. in Lafayette, LA,
has found that following radiotherapy for breast cancer, exposing women to
low energy non- thermal light-emitting diode (LED) photomodulation can
significantly reduce painful, treatment interrupting skin reactions.
    DeLand performed a study treating 19 breast cancer patients with
radiation therapy followed by LED photomodulation and 28 with only
radiation. 18 of the 19 women treated with the LED photomodulation had mild
or no dermatitis, while all 28 patients treated only with radiation had
some degree of skin reaction. All of the women who participated in the
study had stage I or II breast cancer and received intensity modulated
radiation therapy following a lumpectomy. Some had received chemotherapy
prior to radiotherapy.
    "Radiation dermatitis is an adverse condition that can affect regimen
schedules," said DeLand. "Using LED photomodulation reduces the need for
treatment interruptions allowing the patient to complete radiation in the
most timely and effective way possible."
    The 19 women who received daily radiation therapy followed by LED
treatment, in which 100 pulses of light at 0.15 joules/cm2 for 250 ms each
are delivered to the irradiated breast, used only a dry skin ointment after
their daily sessions. The 28 women who underwent the same radiation therapy
protocol but had no LED photomodulation were also allowed to use a dry skin
ointment.
    All patients had a weekly evaluation of the irradiated skin.
    Dr. DeLand found that seven of the women who had received LED
photomodulation had no skin reactions, 11 had only mild (Grade 1)
reactions, and one had moderate (Grade 2) radiation-induced dermatitis. In
addition, none of the patients who underwent photomodulation experienced
moist skin reactions, although one patient in this group had inflammation
severe enough to require interruption of radiotherapy.
    All 28 not receiving LED photomodulation had some type of skin reaction
following radiation. Four patients had mild radiation dermatitis, 18 had
moderate dermatitis and six had serious skin reactions. 19 of the 28
patients who did not receive LED photomodulation required temporary
interruption of therapy because of erythematous reactions and moist
desquamation.
    LED photomodulation is widely used in cosmetic dermatology for
improving skin healing and appearance. The apparatus consists of
light-emitting diodes in a specific array that emit a non-thermal, low
energy light at a pulsating frequency.
    "The pulses stimulate at the cellular level skins cells such as
fibroblasts to repair themselves to build up the collagen," explained
DeLand. "After speaking with my dermatologist colleagues, I realized that
the positive results they had with LED photomodulation could also be
attained in treating my patients suffering with painful skin reactions from
radiation therapy."
    Using photomodulation for skin-repair with cancer patients is a new
concept.
    "My patients have been through surgery and chemotherapy. If a taxane or
an Adriamycin [doxorubicin]-based drug is used, it photosensitizes the
skin. So, when I begin radiation, the skin reaction is typically worse.
These moist skin reactions are extremely painful. Experimenting with LED
photomodulation has allowed me to find a safe way to eliminate an extremely
high level of discomfort for my patients," Dr. DeLand said.
    Six of the women in the LED treatment group were available for
follow-up at three months, and five were available at six months post
therapy. In all of these patients the surgical scar was barely visible,
skin texture and pigment were excellent, and the breast tissue was smooth
and supple, without dryness.
    At three months after therapy, women who did not receive LED
photomodulation had typical late radiation effects, including atrophy,
telangiectasias, and hyper- or hypo-pigmentation. Some women also had
radiation-induced fibrosis, with long-term induration, edema, and dermal
thickening.
    "My studies have shown that using LED photomodulation followed by a dry
skin ointment provides a new, quick and painless solution to combat the
skin reactions that may interrupt and compromise treatment," said DeLand.
    Dr. Maitland DeLand is a clinical faculty member of the LSU School of
Medicine and is a specialist in the treatment of breast cancer and breast
preservation with lumpectomy radiation therapy.

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