Antibody-Drug Conjugate Induced Hair Loss Responds to Minoxidil: A Case Report

July 2025 in “ SKIN The Journal of Cutaneous Medicine ”

Lily Kaufman, Brittany Dulmage, Margaret E. Gatti‐Mays

antibody-drug conjugates fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan sacituzumab govitecan minoxidil alopecia Rogaine

TLDR Oral minoxidil can help regrow hair lost from antibody-drug conjugate treatment.

This case report discusses a 64-year-old female with stage IV ER+/HER2 low-expressing breast cancer who experienced significant hair loss due to treatment with antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), specifically fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan and sacituzumab govitecan. The report highlights the successful use of oral minoxidil to achieve significant hair regrowth while the patient continued ADC therapy. This suggests that oral minoxidil may be a valuable treatment option for managing ADC-induced alopecia, despite the limited research on preventing or treating hair loss in patients undergoing ADC therapy.

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Research cited in this study

2 / 2 results

research Optimizing Treatment Management of Trastuzumab Deruxtecan in Clinical Practice of Breast Cancer

60 citations, August 2022 in “ESMO Open”

Trastuzumab deruxtecan is effective for HER2-positive breast cancer but requires careful management of side effects.

research Minoxidil And Its Use In Hair Disorders: A Review

117 citations, August 2019 in “Drug Design Development and Therapy”

Minoxidil effectively treats hair loss, but use cautiously and monitor side effects.

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Antibody-Drug Conjugate Induced Hair Loss Responds to Minoxidil: A Case Report

Research cited in this study

research Optimizing Treatment Management of Trastuzumab Deruxtecan in Clinical Practice of Breast Cancer

research Minoxidil And Its Use In Hair Disorders: A Review

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