Impact of Educational Programs on Patients Who Developed Skin Reactions Induced by Cancer Treatments

Participation in an educational training program improves skin reactions induced by chemotherapy, epidermal growth factor inhibitor (EGFRI) treatments, and immunotherapy in patients with cancer, according to a study published in the European Journal of Oncology Nursing.

Researchers aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of educational programs for cancer patients who developed pruritis, rash or photosensitivity induced chemotherapy, EGFRI treatments, or immunotherapy in a pilot randomized controlled study. Patients were assigned to the experimental or control group. The experimental group attended an educational program once a week for 4 weeks. Patients in the control group were provided the usual information that cancer patients initiating treatment are given. Weekly measurements were taken to assess the grade of skin reaction. A 36-item Short Form Survey (SF-36) questionnaire and the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaire were also recorded.

In a total of 40 patients, the grades of skin reactions improved in the intervention group compared with the control group (Walds X² = 19.25, P = .004). Patients in the intervention group also showed higher functional health and well-being status, according to results from the SF-36 questionnaire. The DLQI questionnaire results showed a higher effect size difference at week 3 (d = .44) between the control and intervention groups.

“Further validation of the effectiveness of the educational program over longer periods of time will be required,” concluded the study authors.

Reference
Papoui E, Papastavrou E, Merkouris A, Charalambous A. A pilot randomized controlled study of the effects of an educational training program on skin reactions induced by chemotherapy, epidermal growth factor inhibitor (EGFRI) treatments, and immunotherapy. Eur J Oncol Nurs. Published online Aug 15, 2022. doi:10.1016/j.ejon.2022.102194