Rinderon VA ointment (subsequently abbreviated as RD-VAO) was painted on the field of treatment before electron beam therapy for malignant tumors to attempt to alleviate the skin injury now accepted as unavoidable with this therapy. To evaluate the response, 18 postoperative cases of malignant goiter and one case of metastases to the cervical glands from a malignant mediastinal tumor, were used. The cases consisted of 16 females and 3 males. Among the total 19 cases, ED-VAO was painted onto the frontal region of the neck of 3 cases and RD-VAO base (vehicle) was applied to 3 cases. In another 3 cases the field size was divided into two and RD-VAO applied to one side and the base applied to the opposite side. The remaining 9 cases served as controls. Ten MeV electron beam therapy was carried out to the frontal regions of the neck. After 6000 rad, a total lesions dose, comparison studies were carried out on macroscopic skin changes and on microscopic, obtaining a skin slice from both sides of neck in one case where the field size was separated into two. As a result it was revealed that; (1) in cases painted with RD-VAO, the skin injury was markedly alleviated as compared with the control group, (2) the specimens painted RD-VAO showed milder histological changes as compared with specimens from areas painted only with RD-VAO base (vehicle), and (3) the part painted only with the base showed some decrease in skin injury.
