{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,15]],"date-time":"2026-09-15T02:05:12Z","timestamp":1789437912573,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"20","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,18]],"date-time":"2022-10-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1666051200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"National University of Malaysia","award":["FF-2022-147"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["FF-2022-147"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The present review aimed to systematically review skin toxicity changes following breast cancer radiotherapy (RT) using ultrasound (US). PubMed and Scopus databases were searched according to PRISMA guidelines. The characteristics of the selected studies, measured parameters, US skin findings, and their association with clinical assessments were extracted. Seventeen studies were included with a median sample size of 29 (range 11\u2013166). There were significant US skin changes in the irradiated skin compared to the nonirradiated skin or baseline measurements. The most observed change is skin thickening secondary to radiation-induced oedema, except one study found skin thinning after pure postmastectomy RT. However, eight studies reported skin thickening predated RT attributed to axillary surgery. Four studies used US radiofrequency (RF) signals and found a decrease in the hypodermis\u2019s Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC). Three studies reported decreased dermal echogenicity and poor visibility of the dermis\u2013subcutaneous fat boundary (statistically analysed by one report). The present review revealed significant ultrasonographic skin toxicity changes in the irradiated skin most commonly skin thickening. However, further studies with large cohorts, appropriate US protocol, and baseline evaluation are needed. Measuring other US skin parameters and statistically evaluating the degree of the association with clinical assessments are also encouraged.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph192013439","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,18]],"date-time":"2022-10-18T21:18:02Z","timestamp":1666127882000},"page":"13439","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":19,"title":["Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Skin Toxicity Following Radiotherapy of Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"19","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3696-7312","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fatimah Alaa","family":"Hussein","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Makmal Pemprosesan Imej Kefungsian (Functional Image Processing Laboratory), Department of Radiology, University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6769-0603","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hanani Abdul","family":"Manan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Makmal Pemprosesan Imej Kefungsian (Functional Image Processing Laboratory), Department of Radiology, University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia"},{"name":"Department of Radiology and Intervensi, Hospital Pakar Kanak-Kanak (Children Specialist Hospital), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7177-8344","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Aida W. M. Mohd","family":"Mustapha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radiology, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Khairiyah","family":"Sidek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radiotherapy, University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2736-6489","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Noorazrul","family":"Yahya","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Diagnostic Imaging & Radiotherapy Program, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Diagnostic & Applied Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7","DOI":"10.3322\/caac.21708","article-title":"Cancer Statistics, 2022","volume":"72","author":"Siegel","year":"2022","journal-title":"CA Cancer J. 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