Potential side effects of radiation therapy of Morbus Dupuytren or Ledderhose

Not unexpectedly, a therapy that destroys or modifies Dupuytren cells also has effects on other cells. A typical side effect is that the irradiated skin dries somewhat. As far as we know, this has no further disadvantages and does not cause any pain, though it seems to be a permanent effect. Nevertheless, it makes sense not to radiate the entire hand but only the Dupuytren's affected area plus the immediate area around it. The rest of the hand should be covered with a lead screening (you can find a picture of a hand with Dupuytren's disease with the irradiated area indicated on our stages page). For safety reasons, the rest of the body should also be protected against radiation.

There is a general concern about cancer resulting from high dose x-ray treatments, but the risk depends on dose and energy of the x-rays and on the irradiated parts of the body. We have received statements that for radiation therapy of Morbus Dupuytren/Ledderhose the increased probability of acquiring cancer is negligible and we have not heard of any patients who have developed cancer in irradiated areas. However, as we have not seen anything published on this subject we have calculated this risk and published our results here (cancer_risk_Dupuytren_ radiation). Based on our results we believe that the add-on risk for a lethal cancer is very low, not even measurable. Obviously this is not a definite proof and per se cannot assess the individual case, therefore patients need to decide themselves through consulting with their doctor(s) whether they want to take that risk. Dupuytren e.V. itself considers radiation therapy as a very effective, if not the only, means to stop Dupuytren in an early stage and to possibly avoid later surgery.

Page last modified: 10/24/2008