Figure 1.
Disruption of the wound healing process under the influence of chemotherapy. (A) An ordinary course of the wound healing process. Inflammation in the early stages is characteristic of the high activity of neutrophils and macrophages, followed by phagocytosis of the dead tissue. Cells in the wound area synthesize PDGF, TGF-β, and EGF. (B) Impaired wound healing process caused by chemotherapy. Chemotherapeutic drugs suppress the immune response, thus decreasing the activity of neutrophils and macrophages, and necrosis of cells, such as keratinocytes, occurs, delaying the phagocytosis of dead tissue and thereby increasing the risk of infections.8 In addition to the reduced expression of growth factors, this leads to the formation of a chronic wound. (The drawing was created with ServierMedicalArt). EGF, epidermal growth factor; PDGF, platelet-derived growth factor; TGF-β, tumor growth factor-β.