May 2013 Issue

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Chemotherapy-Related Skin Toxicities

Folliculitis

Acneiform eruptions, or folliculitis, often begin as facial erythema that progress to papules and pustules and spread to the upper trunk. Causes of folliculitis in cancer patients include actinomycin-D (Cosmegen)—the most common—as well as epidermal growth factor receptor-inhibiting agents, such as ...

Paronychia

Paronychia is an infection of the soft tissue around a finger or toenail leading to inflammation and swelling. It is a known toxicity of anti-cancer therapy with epidermal growth factor receptor-inhibiting (EGFR) agents. These drugs may affect the skin’s epidermal receptors and cause paronychia. Ons...

Trichomegaly

Trichomegaly, the spontaneous, excessive growth of eyelash with a specifically curly texture, is a toxicity associated with epidermal growth factor receptor-inhibiting (EGFR) use, particularly erlotinib (Tarceva, generic), gefitinib (Iressa), and cetuximab (Erbitux). Researchers hypothesize that tri...

Beau lines

Patients undergoing chemotherapy with taxanes (docetaxel [Docefrez, Taxotere, generics] and paclitaxel [Abraxane, generics]) and anthracyclines (doxorubicin [Doxil, generics], idarubicin [Idamycin PFS, generics], and epirubicin [Ellence, generics]) are prone to nail changes including Beau line or tr...

Hyperpigmentation

The chemotherapy drugs fluorouracil (Carac, Effudex, Fluoroplex, generics), vinorelbine (Navelbine, generics), and daunorubicin (Cerubidine, Daunoxome) cause hyperpigmentation of the skin, nails, and oral mucosa. Hyperpigmentation can follow the distribution of veins, known as serpentine supravenous...

Cancer diagnosis incidence is increasing worldwide as the population grows and people continue to live longer. As a result chemotherapy-related skin toxicities are on the rise, and clinicians and patients alike should be prepared to recognize these disorders.