Cancer, radiation and Safetac® dressings
Skin reactions are a common and painful side effect of radiation therapy, which has the potential to disrupt the patient quality of life. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
In our latest webinar, Professor Patries Herst, Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiation Therapy at the University of Otago in New Zealand, shares evidence from three clinical trials that show that dressings with Safetac can significantly reduce the severity of skin reactions in patients undergoing radiation therapy for breast, head and neck cancers. In addition to the evidence, experience has shown that taking a prophylactic approach to treatment can improve patient quality of life. In the discussion, Professor Herst will discuss:
- How cancer cells differ from healthy cells
- Skin reactions as a common side effect of radiation therapy
- The benefits of a prophylactic approach to treatment and improved quality of life for patients
Associate Professor Patries Herst
Department of Radiation Therapy The University of Otago
Patries has worked for the Department of Radiation Therapy at the University of Otago since 2000. Since 2008 she divides her time between clinical research in NZ hospitals investigating acute radiation-induced side effects and preclinical research at the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research where she investigates aspects of energy metabolism in cancer cells and ways to make aggressive cancers more sensitive to radiation.
