Mepilex Lite Dressings for the Treatment of Acute Radiation Dermatitis of Anal Canal Skin

Summary

Background: According to GLOBOCAN 2022 statistics, colorectal cancer has become the third most common cancer disease worldwide, and also the second leading cause of death. The incidence rate of rectal cancer is particularly prominent. Radiotherapy is one of the important methods for comprehensive treatment of rectal cancer, but the radiation damage caused by radiotherapy cannot be ignored. During radiotherapy for rectal cancer, the skin of the anal canal will be damaged by radiation, resulting in acute radiation dermatitis, which is characterized by redness, pain, and ulcers. The main symptom of patients is anal pain. As the radiation dose accumulates, the skin damage to the anal canal becomes increasingly severe, and the patient's anal pain becomes more severe, which seriously affects the patient's quality of life. Mepilex Lite Dressings can absorb the exudate, keep it moist, promote the healing of radioactive dermatitis, and relieve pain. However, when inserting into the anal canal, the patient reported significant pain that was difficult to tolerate. Therefore, indomethacin suppositories were administered rectally before inserting the dressing, which has been proven to have a reliable analgesic effect by research. In summary, the main objective of this study is to determine the effectiveness of Mepilex Lite Dressings combined with indomethacin suppositories in the treatment of acute radiation dermatitis of anal canal skin in patients with rectal cancer undergoing radiotherapy.

Method: The research plan will be a prospective randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomly divided into an experimental group (n=137) and a control group (n=137) using a simple randomization method. The control group received indomethacin suppositories and routine nursing measures, while the experimental group received the same treatment as the control group and received insertion of Meipile Lite Dressing into the anal canal. The primary outcome measure was the effective rate of treatment for acute radiation dermatitis of the anal canal skin on the 14th day after intervention, and the secondary outcome measure was the effective rate of treatment for acute radiation dermatitis of the anal canal skin on the 7th and 21st days after intervention. At the same time, a questionnaire survey was conducted using the Digital Pain Assessment Scale, Anxiety and Depression Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and Skin Disease Patient Quality of Life Scale at baseline and on the 7th, 14th, and 21st days after intervention.

Conditions

• Rectal Cancer, Radiotherapy
• Anal Pain
• Acute Radiation Dermatitis
• Anal Canal

Interventions

OTHER

Control group

Control group: All patients will receive routine care, including informing them to gently clean the perianal skin with warm water after each bowel movement, and gently wiping it with a cotton cloth. They will also wear loose cotton underwear to keep the perianal skin clean and dry. We will guide patients to consume high protein, high vitamin, and low fiber foods, and avoid spicy and stimulating foods,et al.On the basis of routine care, patients will be given 30 mg of indomethacin suppositories for rectal administration after emptying their stool and urine before bedtime (21:00).

COMBINATION_PRODUCT

Experimental group

Experiment group: In addition to the control group interventions, patients received Mepilex Lite dressings inserted into the anal canal. A 30 mg indomethacin suppository was administered rectally 30 minutes before dressing placement. Patients were placed in the left lateral position with knees flexed. The anal canal was cleaned with cotton swabs moistened with 0.9% sodium chloride solution and air-dried. The anus and injured anal canal skin were exposed, and a 5 cm × 5 cm dressing was applied to the wound with the adhesive side facing the lesion. During exhalation, the dressing was gently inserted 3 cm into the anal canal with 2 cm remaining externally, ensuring full adherence to the damaged tissue. Patients were advised to rest in bed and avoid defecation. Dressings were removed the next morning and replace if dislodged prematurely.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Qianfoshan Hospital

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Heli Shang, undergraduate · Shandong First Medical University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

TRIPLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-02-01

Primary Completion

2027-07-31

Completion

2027-07-31

Countries

• China

Study Locations