Prospective trial of association of skin microbiome dynamics with radiodermatitis in patients with breast cancer

Among patients undergoing adjuvant radiotherapy for breast cancer, the causes of interindividual differences in severity of radiation dermatitis are not well understood. A prospective study at the University of Augsburg (Germany) investigated the association of composition and dynamics of the skin microbiome with severity of acute radiation dermatitis. The study revealed that low colonization with commensal skin bacteria (Staphylococcus epidermis, S. homines, Cutibacterium acnes) at baseline was associated with the development of severe radiodermatitis. In patients with severe radiodermatitis, overgrowth of non-species-specific skin bacterial load was observed before the onset of severe symptoms. The authors conclude that the study results suggest that the skin microbiome may be used as a biomarker for personalized prevention strategies of radiodermatitis.