Jean Lundberg Wright, MD

Invited discussant of the October 2022 ASCO Plenary session, Jean Lundberg Wright, MD, commended the authors on an “extremely well-done study, with findings applicable to patients today in clinics where barriers are not prohibitive.” She also noted several limitations to the currently available assessment tools for radiation dermatitis. Dr. Wright is Director of Breast Cancer Program, Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, and Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore.

“This is the most significant improvement in skin toxicity I have seen in many years,” said Dr. Wright. “At the same time, however, these results challenge our field to develop and study assessment tools for radiation dermatitis that meaningfully differentiate skin toxicity severity and account for both skin tone and patient experience.”

Although the authors attempted to address these limitations by using multiple health-care provider- and patient-reported assessments, noted Dr. Wright, the use of multiple metrics also highlights the lack of consensus on measurement scales. “It is essential for our field to coalesce around a common approach going forward, so we can better define which patients are most likely to benefit from Mepitel^® Film or other similar interventions that hopefully would be more cost-effective,” she continued. 

DISCLOSURE: Dr. Wright has received research funding from Oncospace and royalties from UpToDate. Her institution has received funding from the Prostate Cancer Foundation–Pfizer Health Equity Challenge.