Bacterial Decolonization to Prevent Severe Radiation Dermatitis in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Radiation dermatitis is a common and potentially treatment-limiting toxicity of radiotherapy for head and neck cancers. Colonization with Staphylococcus aureus has been identified as a risk factor for clinically significant radiation dermatitis, and bacterial decolonization has been shown to reduce moist desquamation in irradiated breast cancer patients. This randomized phase III trial evaluates whether a bacterial decolonization strategy can reduce the incidence of grade 2 radiation dermatitis with moist desquamation in patients receiving curative-intent radiotherapy (≥66 Gy) for cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract.