Publications by authors named "Robijns Jolien"

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy of a novel, multi-active emollient in preventing and managing acute radiation dermatitis (ARD) in breast cancer patients undergoing moderate hypofractionated (HF) radiotherapy (RT) compared to standard of care.

Methodsa: A monocentric, open-label, randomized clinical trial (RCT) with breast cancer patients receiving moderate HF (dose: 40.05-55.

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Purpose: The purpose of this trial was to evaluate if photobiomodulation (PBM) can accelerate hair regrowth after chemotherapy in breast cancer patients and if this is correlated with a better quality of life (QoL).

Methods: A randomized controlled trial with breast cancer patients that underwent an anthracycline and taxane-containing chemotherapy regimen was set up at the Jessa Hospital (Hasselt, Belgium). Patients were randomized into the control group (no intervention) or the PBM group (three PBM sessions each week for 12 weeks, starting the last day of their chemotherapy).

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Purpose: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy of barrier films and dressings in preventing acute radiation dermatitis (RD).

Methods: OVID Medline, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched from 1946 to September 2020 to identify randomized controlled trials on the use of barrier films or dressings to prevent RD. For comparable outcomes between studies, pooled effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using the random effects analysis in RevMan 5.

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Purpose: Evaluate the efficacy of a novel skincare product for the management of chemotherapy-related dermatological toxicities.

Methods: A monocentric, prospective, interventional, open-label, pretest-posttest, single-group study with cancer patients receiving chemotherapy (n = 100) was set up. All enrolled patients applied the emollient daily to their face and body for three weeks.

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Purpose: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the available literature describing the efficacy of natural and miscellaneous agents in preventing acute radiation dermatitis (RD) in cancer patients.

Methods: OVID MedLine, Embase, and Cochrane literature databases were searched from 1946 to January 2023 for randomized controlled trials studying the use of natural and miscellaneous agents to prevent RD. RevMan 5.

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Objectives: The evidence demonstrating the efficacy of photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy for preventing and managing acute radiation dermatitis (ARD) is growing steadily. The question that arises from many clinicians is, if PBM is safe for oncologic patients. This study aimed to evaluate the disease-free survival (DFS), cancer-free survival (CFS), and overall survival (OS) of breast cancer patients treated with PBM for ARD.

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Disclaimer: This article is based on recommendations from the 12 WALT Congress, Nice, October 3-6, 2018, and a follow-up review of the existing data and the clinical observations of an international multidisciplinary panel of clinicians and researchers with expertise in the area of supportive care in cancer and/or PBM clinical application and dosimetry. This article is informational in nature. As with all clinical materials, this paper should be used with a clear understanding that continued research and practice could result in new insights and recommendations.

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Objective: Acute radiation dermatitis (ARD) is a frequent adverse effect in patients with cancer undergoing radiotherapy (RT). The aim of this case series is to evaluate the effect of a novel skin barrier protectant in patients with ARD.

Methods: The skin barrier protectant was used in four patients with different cancer types undergoing RT at two clinical sites.

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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in breast cancer patients.

Methods: A prospective, randomized placebo-controlled pilot trial (NEUROLASER) was set up with 32 breast cancer patients who underwent chemotherapy (ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT03391271).

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The objective of this retrospective analysis was to determine the incidence and extent of vaginal mucositis (VM) in women with gynaecological cancer undergoing external (chemo)radiation therapy (CRT). A retrospective analysis was set up to collect data on the incidence and severity of VM in women treated with external pelvic RT for gynaecological cancer at the Jessa Hospital, Hasselt and ZOL, Genk, BE between January 2017 and June 2018. At the start and end of their external (C)RT, they rated the frequency and intensity of five common symptoms of VM.

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Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of photobiomodulation therapy in breast cancer patients post-lumpectomy undergoing hypofractionated whole-breast irradiation (HF-WBI) for the prevention and management of acute radiodermatitis (ARD).

Materials And Methods: A randomized, multicentric clinical trial (LABRA trial, NCT03924011) was set up at the Limburg Oncology Center, including the Jessa Hospital (Hasselt, BE) and Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg (Genk, BE). A total of 71 breast cancer patients planned to undergo HF-WBI were randomized to one of the two study arms: the control group (n = 32) or the PBM group (n = 39).

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Background And Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) for the prevention of acute radiation dermatitis (ARD) in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients.

Materials And Methods: A randomised, placebo-controlled trial (RCT) with 46 HNC patients who underwent radiotherapy (RT) with or without concomitant chemotherapy was set up (DERMISHEAD trial). Patients were randomised to receive PBM or placebo treatments from the first day of RT (2×/week) alongside the institutional skincare.

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Objective: To evaluate the use of a novel skin barrier protectant in a patient treated with radiotherapy for vulvar cancer.

Methods: This case report was conducted in a radiotherapy department with two women undergoing radiotherapy for vulvar carcinoma. A novel skin barrier protectant was evaluated in one patient; the other underwent the institutional standard skin care protocol.

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Article Synopsis
  • A systematic review was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) in cancer patients, following PRISMA guidelines and analyzing 67 studies, including in vitro, in vivo, and clinical research.
  • In vitro studies showed mixed results on PBMT's impact on cancer cells, possibly due to varying application parameters, while in vivo studies and clinical trials indicated that PBMT is generally safe and could help prevent complications from cancer treatments.
  • Overall, while current literature suggests PBMT may enhance patient survival and safety in certain cancers, additional research is necessary to address unanswered questions and optimize its use in oncology.
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Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common side effect of chemotherapy (CT), affecting 68% of patients. Current treatment strategies are based on pharmacological symptom management, but have limited results. Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) is a new and emerging therapeutic tool in the supportive care of cancer patients.

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We evaluated the role of photobiomodulation (PBM) in radiation fibrosis syndrome (RFS). Radiation therapy (RT) is an important treatment utilized in over half of newly diagnosed cancers. Despite its benefits, patients treated with RT may experience acute and chronic significant side effects depending on both treatment- and patient-related factors.

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A narrative review of the available scientific evidence to identify the current proposals relating the use of photobiomodulation (PBM) to treat acute radiodermatitis (ARD), to guide future research. A devastating side effect of radiotherapy (RT) is ARD, defined as an inflammatory skin reaction induced by RT. Currently, there is still no standard of care for ARD.

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Purpose Of Review: The number of clinical trials on the use of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) for the management of cancer therapy-related complications is growing steadily. One of the side-effects that is under investigation is acute radiodermatitis (ARD), an inflammatory skin reaction caused by radiotherapy. In this review, an overview is given on the state of art of the application of PBMT for the prevention and management of ARD.

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The aim of this Letter to the Editor was to report some methodological shortcomings in the recently published article "Application of red light phototherapy in the treatment of radioactive dermatitis in patients with head and neck cancer" by Zhang et al. There are some issues regarding the incomplete photobiomodulation (PBM) parameters, the chosen outcome measures, and some missing reference articles. In conclusion, the results of this study should be interpreted with caution and further research is necessary.

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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate objectively the effectiveness of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) for the prevention of acute radiation dermatitis (ARD) by using biophysical skin measurements.

Methods: A randomized, placebo-controlled trial with 120 breast cancer patients who underwent an identical radiotherapy (RT) regimen post-lumpectomy was performed (TRANSDERMIS trial). Patients were randomized to receive PBM (808 nm CW/905 nm pulsed, 168 mW/cm, spot size 19.

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