Keywords
Pressure Ulcer
Cancer
Chemotherapy
Radiation Dermatitis
Palliative Wound Care
How to Cite
Abstract
Pressure injuries represent a significant clinical challenge in bedridden oncology patients, in whom immobility, malnutrition, cachexia, cytopenias, chemotherapy, and previous radiotherapy may increase tissue vulnerability and compromise wound healing. This educational article examines current evidence on pressure injury prevention and management in oncology, with particular attention to the clinical implications of anticancer treatments. Standard principles, including risk assessment, pressure redistribution, individualized repositioning, skin protection, moisture management, nutritional assessment, and wound-bed preparation, remain the foundation of care, although much of the evidence derives from non-oncology populations. Chemotherapy may impair tissue repair and introduce additional considerations related to neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and treatment timing, while irradiated tissue may exhibit fibrosis, hypovascularity, and persistent cellular injury. An oncology-adapted interpretation of the TIME framework is presented to support individualized clinical reasoning. Atypical or unexpectedly non-healing wounds may require diagnostic reconsideration, while limited prognosis may justify shifting therapeutic goals from wound closure toward symptom control, comfort, and quality of life. Oncology-specific factors should therefore inform, rather than replace, established pressure injury management principles, pending dedicated prospective research.
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