Long-Term Skin Temperature Changes after Breast Cancer Radiotherapy

Agnieszka Baic, Dominika Plaza, Barbara Lange, Łukasz Michalecki, Agata Stanek, Anna Kowalczyk, Krzysztof Ślosarek and Armand Cholewka
Additional contact information
Agnieszka Baic: Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Silesia, 75 Pułku Piechoty Street 1A, 41-500 Chorzów, Poland
Dominika Plaza: Radiotherapy Planning Department, Maria Skłodowska—Curie National Research Institute of Oncology Gliwice Branch, Wybrzeze Armii Krajowej Street 15, 44-102 Gliwice, Poland
Barbara Lange: IIIrd Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy Department, Maria Skłodowska—Curie National Research Institute of Oncology Gliwice Branch, Wybrzeze Armii Krajowej Street 15, 44-102 Gliwice, Poland
Łukasz Michalecki: Department of Radiation Oncology, University Clinical Center, Medical University of Silesia, Ceglana Street 35, 40-514 Katowice, Poland
Agata Stanek: Clinical Department of Internal Medicine, Angiology and Physical Medicine, Medical University of Silesia, Poniatowskiego Steet 15, 40-055 Katowice, Poland
Anna Kowalczyk: Department of Physiotherapy, School of Health Sciences, Medical University of Silesia, Medyków Street 12, 40-752 Katowice, Poland
Krzysztof Ślosarek: Radiotherapy Planning Department, Maria Skłodowska—Curie National Research Institute of Oncology Gliwice Branch, Wybrzeze Armii Krajowej Street 15, 44-102 Gliwice, Poland
Armand Cholewka: Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Silesia, 75 Pułku Piechoty Street 1A, 41-500 Chorzów, Poland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 11, 1-11

Abstract: The aim of the study was to use thermal imaging to evaluate long-term chest temperature changes in patients who had previously been treated with radiotherapy. The examination with a thermal imaging camera involved 144 women—48 of them were patients after RT, 48 were females before breast cancer radiotherapy and the last group of participants were 48 healthy women. All patients (before and after radiotherapy) were divided into women after mastectomy and those after conservative surgery. In addition, the first group of women, those who had received radiotherapy, were divided into three other groups: up to 1 year after RT, over 1 year and up to 5 years after RT and over 5 years after RT. Due to this, it was possible to compare the results and analyse the differences between the temperature in the healthy and treated breasts. The comparison of obtained temperature results showed that the area treated by ionizing radiation is characterized by a higher temperature even a few years after the finished treatment. It is worth mentioning that despite the fact that the difference was visible on the thermograms, the patients had no observable skin lesion or change in color at the treatment site. For the results of the study provided for the group of healthy patients, there were no significant differences observed between the average temperatures in the breasts. The use of thermal imaging in the evaluation of skin temperature changes after radiotherapy showed that the average temperature in the treated breast area can change even a long time after treatment.

Keywords: radiation therapy; thermography; breast cancer (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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