Herbal Helpers: Calendula Cream for Radiation Dermatitis

Herbal Helpers: Calendula Cream for Radiation Dermatitis

In the randomized Phase III trial titled Phase III Randomized Trial of Calendula officinalis Compared with Trolamine for the Prevention of Acute Dermatitis During Irradiation for Breast Cancer, Pommier et al. enrolled 254 women with early-stage breast cancer (126 assigned to calendula cream, 128 to trolamine) following surgery and during postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy. Trolamine (often marketed as Biafine) is a widely used topical emulsion designed to soothe and moisturize irradiated or damaged skin. The investigators set out to test whether calendula ointment, derived from Calendula officinalis flowers, could offer greater protection.

The results were striking: only 41% of patients using calendula developed grade 2+ dermatitis compared to 63% in the trolamine group. Patients in the calendula group also had fewer interruptions to radiotherapy and significantly less pain, even though they found calendula ointment slightly more difficult to apply. Satisfaction ratings were, nonetheless, higher in the calendula arm.

Regarding usage, individuals using calendula required fewer tubes of cream—about 2.7 tubes on average, compared to 4.4 tubes for trolamine—indicating better efficiency.

In summary, this trial supports calendula ointment as a more effective, better tolerated prophylactic option than trolamine for preventing moderate-to-severe radiation dermatitis in breast cancer radiotherapy—reducing both skin toxicity and pain, with fewer treatment interruptions required.

Reference:

Pommier P, Gomez F, Sunyach MP, D’Hombres A, Carrie C, Montbarbon X. Phase III randomized trial of Calendula officinalis compared with trolamine for the prevention of acute dermatitis during irradiation for breast cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2004;22(8):1447‐1453