Needs Statement

Acute radiation dermatitis is a skin condition caused by radiation. It is most commonly a side effect of radiation therapy such as cancer treatment. Annually, 650,000 Americans receive radiation therapy and as a result, 90 percent of patients receive radiation dermatitis. This condition causes structural tissue damage to the basal keratinocytes, stem cells in the hair follicles, and melanocytes, due to their radiosensitive nature. Characterization of acute radiation dermatitis includes apoptotic keratinocytes, vacuolization of the basal layer, and epidermal edema. Radiation dermatitis can also be assessed by severity grades. These grades range from NCI CTCAE (Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events) grade 1, characterized by mild dermatitis, pruritus, hair loss, and faint erythema with dry desquamation to grade 5, characterized by death due to dermatitis, which is very rare.