M E Lacouture

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..Two dermatologists who treat high numbers of patients affected by these EGFRI-induced cutaneous side effects submit their recommendations for management...

..Dermatologic events (DEs) in patients with cancer treated with lapatinib, a small-molecule dual tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR [ErbB1]) and HER2 (ErbB2), were characterized...

..This side-effect is of clinical importance, as early recognition is critical for early treatment and may represent a source of additional morbidity to these patients...

..There is an urgent need for an improved understanding of these toxicities to develop adequate staging systems and mechanistically driven therapies, and to ensure quality of life and consistent antineoplastic therapy...

..This study examined clinicopathological findings and management of hand foot skin reaction (HFSR) to sorafenib and sunitinib in a dermatology referral center for cancer-related toxic effects...

..Based on these proceedings, recommendations for the management of HFSR have been provided to offer patients the best possible quality of life while taking these drugs and to optimize the patient benefit associated with MKI therapy...

..Because the level of the biological pigment melanin correlates with increased protection against UVR, we hypothesized that lighter levels of skin pigmentation are associated with greater severity of rash...

..The most common adverse events were moderate skin reactions on the hands and feet and alopecia. Our conclusion was therefore that this is a tolerable dosing regimen for testing the therapeutic activity of sorafenib in PAH patients...

..However, sunitinib is frequently associated with dermatological adverse reactions. The physical and psychosocial impact of frequent dermatological toxicities can affect consistent antineoplastic therapy and quality of life...

..We carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies to quantify the incidence and risk of high-grade acneiform rash with combination therapy...

..These are two of the few cases in the literature showing that rituximab is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for radiotherapy-relapsing primary cutaneous B cell lymphoma...

..The result was a proposal for a simple, three-tiered grading system for skin toxicities related to HER1/EGFR inhibitors to be used in therapeutic decision making and as a framework for building a stepwise approach to intervention...

..It can cause considerable discomfort and lead to therapy interruption. Numerous approaches to HFS management have been reported, but there is no consensus...

..This study was conducted to determine the risk of developing HFSR among patients receiving sorafenib...

..The survey results support that attentive cutaneous care is important in patients treated with EGFR inhibitors, and that proactive/combined interventions may enhance quality of life and optimize consistent drug administration...

..Cognitive behavioral strategies may also be useful in helping patients manage anxiety and depression associated with any changes in their social function caused by skin rash, as well as distress associated with having a cancer diagnosis...

..This review discusses several non-rash dermatologic toxicities observed with targeted therapeutic agents and guidelines for their diagnosis and treatment...

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..The goal is to maximize quality of life in patients who are being treated with these agents--many of whom will be on these drugs for several months or even years...

..Effective management of these adverse effects may lessen the chance of suboptimal therapy and requires an understanding of the underlying pathophysiology, as well as knowledge of useful strategies for alleviating these effects...

..This review provides a basis for the understanding of dermatologic events in the oncology setting, in order to promote attentive care to cutaneous health in cancer patients and survivors...

..Most management strategies for these toxicities have been based on anecdotal experience; clinical trials are needed to provide uniform characterization to allow for evidence-based treatment strategies...

..These drugs will have important implications in clinical dermatology, based on their expected frequent use in the treatment of dermatologic malignancies, and their associated cutaneous side effects...