Late effects of dose fractionation on the mechanical properties of breast skin following post-lumpectomy radiotherapy.

Purpose: Late radiation-induced skin effects were studied in a multicenter project using our new sensitive noninvasive viscoelasticity skin analyzer (VESA).

Methods And Materials: Skin viscoelasticity and anisotropy were examined quantitatively in symmetric areas of both breasts in healthy women and in 110 breast cancer patients who underwent lumpectomy and radiotherapy. These parameters were evaluated by the VESA measurement of the speed of elastic wave propagation in the skin; higher VESA readings correspond to higher skin stiffness.