A phase 2 safety and feasibility study on role of curcumin in postsurgical perineal wound healing at a tertiary care cancer centre, HBNI, Mumbai

Abstract: A phase 2 safety and feasibility study was conducted at a tertiary care cancer center to investigate the role of curcumin in postsurgical perineal wound healing. The study's primary objective was to assess the effect of curcumin on perineal wound healing in gastrointestinal surgery patients, while the secondary objective was to evaluate its safety. The research used a quantitative approach and a single-arm study design, with a sample size of 36 patients. Participants were between 18 and 75 years old, had comorbidities like hypertension and diabetes, and were scheduled for rectal resection with a perineal phase of operation. Patients with primary squamous cell carcinoma of rectal cancer or active perineal infection before surgery were excluded. Oral curcumin (500mg) was given three times daily from five days before surgery until day 21. Wound assessments were conducted on days 0, 13, and 27 using the SWAT (Surgical Wound Assessment Tool). The study aimed to reduce delayed wound healing and shorten hospital stays for patients undergoing abdominoperineal resection (APR).The study found a statistically significant difference in surgical wound contamination, wound dimension length, wound bed slough, and odor on days 0, 13, and 27 post-surgery (p-value < 0.05). However, there was no statistically significant difference in wound bed granulation status over the same period (p-value > 0.05), which may indicate the time required for granulation to occur. The analysis was performed using SPSS, with a two-tailed p-value of less than 0.05 considered significant.